Harriet Valerie Harrison

Harriet Valerie McCall Harrison, a beloved mother, sister, and friend, passed away on December 13, 2023, at NHC Columbia, following a short illness. She was born on August 31, 1957, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to the late Thomas Morris McCall and Anna Katherine Pinkston. She spent most her life in Middle Tennessee.

Harriet was a woman of profound intellect and with a deep appreciation for education. She earned two bachelor’s degrees (Biology and Psychology) from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and worked some years as an Assistant at Vanderbilt University, where she showcased her commitment to the advancement of research.

Her friends and family want the world to know she loved her iced tea with LOTS of lemons, she was an avid movie DVD collector, and that she was a fan of Downtown Abbey and Columbo reruns. As a sports enthusiast she followed NFL football and Professional Women’s tennis. Over the years she supported and cheered on female tennis stars such as Chris Everette, Billie Jean King, and Serena Williams.

“Big Sis” was a creative person, loving to cross stitch, make crafts, and even spent years papermaking by hand. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Pulaski, TN and regularly joined her friends for Aquarobics at the Curry Athletic Center at UT Southern in Pulaski.

Harriet’s “Happy Place” was the beach, her favorite being Myrtle Beach, SC, where she spent family vacations fighting the waves, eating Calabash-style seafood and racing cars at the local amusement park.

She is survived by her daughter, Megan Valerie Harrison, who was the light of her life, as well as her siblings: Barbara McCall, John McCall, and Alison Malone. Harriet’s cherished companion, Sasha the Calico cat, brought joy and comfort to her life. She left behind many cousins who will always have good things to say about Uncle Tom McCall’s oldest daughter.

Those close to Harriet knew she struggled with bipolar disorder, but she did not let it stop her from having a dynamic, fun-filled life. In lieu of a formal funeral and flowers, her family would like to recommend donations to the Tennessee chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in memory of Harriet Harrison at namitn.kindful.com. She will be cremated by the Cremation Society of Tennessee and her remains will be scattered among the sand and waves of Myrtle Beach in 2024.