Margaret Deanna Harris

Margaret Deanna Harris (Hamil), 75, of Windsor, died December 7th, 2020, at her home. She was born April 25, 1945, in Goodwater, OK, to Newman and Dorothy Barrick Hamil. She moved to Denver, CO after graduating from High School. In 1963, she met Marvin Harris at their workplace and married on February 14, 1964 in Denver, CO. They moved to Windsor,CO and purchased Windsor Auto Parts in May 1972. They owned the business for 24 years, and Margaret helped out for the first few years before being hired as a teacher’s aide at Park School in 1975. In 1979 Mountain View Elementary was built and she, along with all of the students and staff loaded up with what they could carry and took the short walk from Park Building to Mountain View where Margaret then worked as secretary, and then later as the administrative secretary and sometime health aide. In February of 2005 Margaret suffered a major hemorrhagic stroke which completely altered her life. From that time forward she fought for everything, to walk, to eat, to write and most of all to play cards! But beyond that her motivation was her two grandchildren. Dylan was just months old at the time of her stroke and Ryan was born the September after. Her main focus was being grandma to them. She set her goals for therapy around being able to walk and carry one of them. To be able to help feed them, bathe them, read to them, to love them with every part of her being. And she was absolutely successful in that endeavor. Margaret absolutely loved spending time with friends and family, she had a loving, generous, faithful and forgiving soul. She loved to play cards - mostly bridge and pinochle and she played as long as she could. Seeing friends and playing cards was one of her perfect worlds, especially if Pepsi was involved! She could forget her struggles and enjoy herself. Margaret loved crafting and being a part of the Windsor craft fair even if just to socialize. She loved wearing bright fun clothes and big jewelry to work because "the kids love it”, and she loved making them smile. And that (with a Pepsi) was another of her perfect worlds. Sitting in a rocking chair between her grandson’s beds, reading them a story at bedtime - another perfect world. She would read and sing and fall asleep along with the boys half the time. Her ability to joke and find humor even in the darkest of times made her an amazing mom, grandma, wife, friend, sister, patient, woman. Strangers were just friends she hadn’t met yet, and she never pre-judged anyone. Margaret loved being a part of the Windsor Community and she with Marvin volunteered in many programs. She was an Opti-Mrs. before women could be official members of the Optimist Club, and helped with any program she could, including the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Safe Halloween, Story Hour at the library, and Santa’s Toy Shop. In 1975 and 1976 she was the Harvest Festival chairman and then co-chaired in 1977. Margaret and Marvin were honored as Citizens of the year in 1980 by the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, and they were grand marshals in the Harvest Festival Parade in 1987. She and her family were honored as citizens of the year 2006 by the Windsor Tribune in their first annual "Our Town, Our People. Making a difference in our community” celebrated in February of 2007. She attended the First United Methodist Church of Windsor. She is survived by her son, Eric Harris of Windsor, her daughter, Heather Reed - husband Michael, their sons, Dylan and Ryan all of Windsor; one sister, Janell Hamil of Haworth, OK, two brothers, Gene Hamil (JoAnn) of Alba, TX, and Byron Hamil (Loretta) of Haworth, OK, and sisters-in-law, Susanne Hamil of Durant, TX, Donna Hamil of Idabel, OK, Barb Kennedy (Lynn) of Loveland, Janet Harris of Gordon, NE, Susan Harris of Twin Falls, ID and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin, her parents Dorothy and Newman Hamil, two brothers, Bobby and Alvin Hamil, and one sister, Patsie Flori. Memorial services will include a family graveside service at a later date in January 2021 and a full celebration of life sometime in June 2021. Donations may be made to the Margaret D Harris Memorial Fund in care of Adamson Life Celebration Home 2000 47th Ave Greeley, CO 80634. Donations from this fund will be made to the Windsor Optimist Club and other local organizations. Family and friends may leave condolences at www.adamsoncares.com