Annie Marie Harris

Annie Marie Harris was born in Kinston, North Carolina on September 1, 1958 to the late William John Franklin and Lillie Mae Hines. She was the youngest of eleven children and raised in LaGrange, NC. During her youth, she expressed a deep love and appreciation for music that crossed several genres. Her affection for music would become one of her most identifiable (and endearing) traits and would serve her throughout all seasons of life.

During her mid-adolescence, she, along with her mother and sister, moved from LaGrange to Farmville, North Carolina. Upon her family’s move, Marie became an honor student at Farmville Central High School (Home of the Jaguars). She was incredibly popular in high school (as we would expect) but did not anticipate that her moving to Farmville would serve as the catalyst that would change her life forever. Farmville would be where she would form two of her longest relationships: a 50-year relationship with her best friend, Sandra Denise Dupree; and a romance with a young man named Theodore who lived down the street in a neighborhood known as “the Heights”. Who would have ever imagined that these polar-opposite individuals would later become husband and wife – a marriage that would span 46 years (46 years and 7 months to be exact).

Immediately following her high-school graduation, Marie relocated from small-town USA (which she lovingly referred to as “Green Acres”) to the city that never sleeps - New York, New York (“Wow! New York, just like I pictured it. Skyscrapers and everything”). For those of you who don’t know/understand this quote, it’s from the lyrics of one of Marie’s favorite songs/artists - “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder. During her time in the Big Apple, Marie worked at one of the largest banks in New York City, Chase Manhattan Bank (which would later be known as JP Morgan Chase Bank). Her bank maintained the accounts of high-profile celebrities. She would often see/speak with Kiss’s Gene Simmons, World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, and NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In 1978, Marie married Theodore and formally became Mrs. Harris. In a couple of years, she moved to Virginia, where she later gave birth to a son, Brandon. As a military spouse, Marie enjoyed the opportunity to travel to different states. Her favorite duty station was in Monterey, California. Not only did she travel domestically, but also internationally. And travel she did. While in Europe, she visited countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and England. She was never one for staying in the house and loved taking in the sights.

Marie was one-of-a-kind. To know her was to love her. She was an astute judge of character and could read through any veiled hint of dishonesty. She often referred to this blessing as “the spirit of discernment”. She did not trust easily and would often say to those that knew her, “The jury is still out on that one”. She would be quick to tell her loved ones, “I may not know algebra or chemistry, but I know people”. Her intuition about people and their motives was uncanny. While she may not have acquired a college degree, a strong case could be made for her being named Valedictorian of the School of Hard Knocks. 

Her spirit and heart were honest and pure, and her sense of humor was infectious. Anyone that engaged with her (professionally or personally) will tell you how she mastered the art of laughter. You could not be around her without seeing her laugh, telling a joke, or doing something sneaky that automatically made you smile. Marie was the prototype of fun, enjoying every moment that our Almighty God gives to people. Not only did she love to laugh, but she was also in love with music. Whether it was Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Marvin Gaye, Billy Joel, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, ELO, Nirvana, the elements that are Earth, Wind and Fire, or His Royal Badness Prince, you could always depend on Marie to have the tunes at the ready.

The term “sports-fanatic” doesn’t fully capture the essence of Marie’s passion for her beloved North Carolina Tarheels and Washington Redskins (she refused to call them the Commanders), and even The Ohio State University Buckeyes. There were many days where she basked in the beauty of triumph, and others when she was exasperated with the lack of hustle being shown on the court and/or field. The latter would often translate into her saying, “I already know what’s about to happen and I don’t want to see it”. This would be followed by her throwing the remote on the bed and turning off any media outlet that could provide updates to the game. She attended multiple NCAA Final Fours and even a couple of professional playoff games. She truly was “Tarheel-born and Tarheel-bred”, while also HTTR (Hail to the Redskins).

Her greatest gift was her ability to “connect”. Marie had a story for just about anything. She had the amazing trait of being able to see the person for “who” they were and met them “where” they were. This was seen daily during her employment at Cumberland County Mental Health (per Marie, “my favorite job”). She loved her kids and their parents, and they loved her. Going above and beyond for others was her baseline. She enjoyed working with people and loved being of service. Not only did she have her work-children, but she had several adopted children (Thomas Newkirk, John Bush, Jamaal Pittman, RJ Anderson, and yes, some girls). Everyone knows, Marie had an affinity for her boys 

Above all, Marie was a faithful member of the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo). She served as a deaconess and member of the local secretary. She was deeply devoted to her faith and dedicated in attending worship services every Thursday and Sunday. She never compromised her relationship with our Almighty God and ensured that she was always available for worship services, as well as other Church activities.

On the evening of Sunday, October 20, 2024, Marie peacefully passed away at her home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her husband, Theodore, was by her side to the very end. Marie was preceded in death by her mother, Ms. Lillie Mae Hines; father, Mr. William John Franklin Hines; and six siblings: John Hines, Jr.; Johnnie Mae Whitley; David Sauls; Margaret B. Hines-Lloyd; MaeBelle Hines-Staton; and Clara Hines.

She leaves to cherish her memory her husband, Theodore, of the home; her son, Brandon Harris (Marlene) of Roseville, CA; sisters – Mae Thelma Hines of Brooklyn, NY, Nellie Leonard of Maryland, and Betsy L. Hines of Washington, DC; and brother, Clyde Hines (Rita) of Maryland, along with several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Marie’s village also included several friends who truly have become adopted sisters in-arms.