Catherine Frances "Katie" Harris

Catherine (Katie) Frances Hromada Harris, 78, of Edmond, OK passed peacefully at home surrounded by her family on October 12, 2022. Katie was born on February 8, 1944 in El Reno, OK to Frank and Helen Hromada. She graduated from El Reno High School in 1962 and from Long Beach City College with an Associate Degree in Interior Design in 1976. Katie was an accomplished Interior Designer and had residential and commercial clients across the country. She married Billy Ray Harris in 1962 and had two children, Tammy James and Jill Pitzer. She had 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, which were her greatest joy. They lovingly called her Baba and she was their biggest supporter. She lived in Dallas, TX until 2019 until an illness required her to move closer to her family in Oklahoma. Katie was a wonderful artist and enjoyed sketching with charcoal, painting with watercolors and oil and encaustic wax. She enjoyed looking at art and architecture everywhere she went. She displayed both her own art and things created by her friends. Katie was always impeccably dressed, she had wonderful taste and her home was a reflection of her quirky style and sense of humor. She was known to have odd collections of things like animal feet and taxidermy of all kinds. She challenged her design clients to create homes that were reflections of their taste and aesthetic but also pushed them outside of their comfort zone to have interesting surroundings.Katie loved learning new things, and as an older adult, learned tap dancing, oil painting, and figure drawing. She was an example to all that you are never too old to learn new things, except perhaps new technology. Katie loved flowers and plants and enjoyed growing orchids. She always had fresh flowers in her house and lovely gardens in her yard. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Barbara Rowell and ex-husband Bill Harris. She is survived by daughter, Tammy James and husband John of Eatonton, GA, daughter, Jill Pitzer and husband Clint of Edmond, OK and sister, Judy Jimerson of Norman, OK. She leaves 8 grandchildren, their spouses and 3 great-grandchildren: Katherine, Heath, Ansley and William Smith of Milledgeville, GA; Andrew James, Candice Kennerly, Sebastian Ivey and Rylee James of Palm Coast, FL; Alison James and David Jaworsky of Charlotte, NC; Maggie James of Gainesboro, GA; Kendra James of Quantico, VA, Anna and Elizabeth Shirley of Oklahoma City, OK; Caroline Pitzer of Edmond, OK and Sarah Jane Pitzer of Edmond, OK. She has many nieces and nephews that love her as well. Memorial service will be held at Crossings Community Church Chapel, 14600 North Portland Ave., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Tuesday October 18, at 4:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Curbside Flowers at www.curbsideflowers.org/donate.