Michelle Harris

Michelle Rae Wittman Harris A beloved wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, friend, niece, cousin…and all around magnificent human being, was born May 19, 1975 and passed away January 26, 2014. Michelle entered the world with a splash…Diane tells us that her water broke at the hospital and Ron ran out to get the nurse, slipping in the water, careening across the floor, and colliding with a gurney. It was with that exciting beginning that Michelle burst into the world, and into our hearts. Early in her development her favorite foods quickly emerged…she could live on a diet of cereal, cheese and ice cream…oh yes, and she enjoyed chewing on pens and once snacked extensively on the upholstery in the back seat of the car. As she grew, Michelle proved herself a tomboy…mostly out of necessity. She had to get tough quick to defend herself against the tauntings of her brother and his friends. By all reports they ended up on the painful side of her Karate knee chop. Michelle was athletic…starting first with ballet and transitioning to team sports like basketball, volleyball and softball. Multiple trophies adorned her room as proof of her athletic prowess, and multiple scars served as proof that she was pretty competitive and totally committed to every endeavor. Her long-time childhood friend, Corey Meyer, was often by her side when her father, Ron, and brother Mike took delight in making her scream. Ron, a quintessential storyteller, decided to mimic the long-tongued lizard aliens from the movie V. Slipping a shoe lace between his teeth like an extra-long tongue, he crept down the stairs lizard-style on his hands and knees scaring both girls so badly that Diane and Ron's hearing was impaired for weeks, and Corey had to be taken home in hysterics. A cousin recounts that as Michelle was the youngest of the Houghtelling cousins, she was either constantly being teased or entertaining the cousins at their holiday gatherings with impersonations of Yoda and ET. She was quite the ham and beamed with delight at their reactions. Then there was the time, as a very young child, that Michelle, being a precocious learner, delivered an ""f"" bomb at her brother Mikey…right in front of her dad. Yet another teaching moment for dad. Anyone who spent time around 'Chelle knew that she loved most things…but she did have a serious dislike – no, make that aversion, no, it was an extreme fear, of bugs. The fear started on an annual family excursion to a lake in Nebraska during the grasshopper infestation. One couldn't step outside the camper without stepping on the grasshoppers which crunched menacingly under foot. Thus began her fear of insects. By the age of 5, Carson became her official 'bug catcher' and protector when spiders dared to show their faces in her presence. Michelle always adored her parents. She learned her teasing, pranks, and playfulness from her dad, and her loving and nurturing from her mom, who so freely gave of her time (from spending hours in long lines to purchase a Cabbage Patch baby to helping extensively with the kids). Shortly after graduating from high school in 1994, she embarked on the next leg of her journey through life when she met 'her man' – her most avid supporter – her love – Jason Harris. Jason and Michelle made another really 'big splash' dashing to the wedding limo in a torrential rainstorm including a lightning strike on a tree on the church grounds just 50 feet away from Uncle Wendell. Michelle was deeply moved by the dance with her father at the wedding reception; she and Ron shared a good cry during that dance, and then she was off dancing like a wild woman with her new hubby. Seven years into their 17 years of marriage Jason and Michelle were richly blessed by the birth of their son, Carson. Two years later another blessing, Alyssa, found her way into our lives. As the kids grew and blossomed, 'Chelle cut back on her athletic endeavors to become a cheerleader for her children's sports teams, an education advocate through involvement with the elementary PTO, and focused much of her energy on raising happy, healthy children. As the children grew, she found more time to return to the slopes and her snowboard, and had the opportunity to travel a little. In the last year she was thrilled to get to go to both Mexico (zip-lining was a special thrill) and to Hawaii where she swam with the turtles and the dolphins—to her soul's delight. Relationships of all kinds mattered to Michelle. She accepted and enjoyed everyone – even our illustrious emcee (Cody) when he showed up with long hair, an unbuttoned shirt and a guitar hero game. When she entered into a room she would inevitably spot the shiest person and approach them eagerly, bombarding them with questions until they opened up and relaxed. She responded in kind, and before long you felt like you had known her your entire life. Jason and Michelle together took in 'strays' of all kinds, accepting them for who they are, and as you can see by the crowd here today, they are both loved deeply. A staunch Broncos fan, Michelle fervently supported her team and did her best to make sure that everyone else did too. Given her forgiving nature, however, we're sure she has forgiven Jon for being a Seahawks supporter. She kept relationships alive through frequent texts, emails and Facebook. ""Communicate"" could have been her middle name…but it was actually RAE – and indeed, she was a ray of sunshine and joy. In the last two years she experienced several surgeries and endured a great deal of pain. She was persistent in her pursuit of knowledge about her condition and in researching a resolution to the pain. Through it all her smile and sense of humor endured. Life brought her to us, and life has taken her from us. Our sadness at her departure is overwhelming, but today we celebrate having known her, her joy and her sweetness, and we remember basking in the warmth of her heart. A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2014 from 6:00-8:00 PM, at Horan & McConaty, 5303 E. County Line Rd., Centennial, 80122. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, January 31, 2014, 1:00 PM, at the Christ Lutheran Church, 8997 South Broadway, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. Please share your memories of Michelle and condolences with her family by signing the guestbook below.