Helen Marie Voigt Harris

Helen Marie Voigt Harris passed away gently on June 29, 2025. Born on Oct. 23, 1933, in Oak Park, Illinois to Edwin and Margret Voigt, she was the youngest of three daughters. Even as the “baby” of the family, Helen possessed a fierce determination and drive to excel in everything she pursued.

Helen was the first in her family to attend college, graduating from Blackburn College in 1952. During her time there, she met Richard “Dick” Harris from Concrete, Washington. The two married on June 15, 1956, and together they raised a family of three children.

After graduation, Helen continued her education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Wisconsin State University in Milwaukee. She later obtained a Permanent Teaching Certificate from Washington State University.

Helen taught Art and elementary grades in Washington state schools from 1956 to 1960, when her first child, Karl, was born. Despite her growing family, she remained passionate about art and continued to pursue her creative interests.

In the mid-1970s, when her children were all in school, Helen volunteered at a preschool for children with special needs. She then returned to school at the University of Washington to earn her Special Education Endorsement. This led to a fulfilling career in special education, teaching preschool, junior high, and high school students in Aberdeen, Washington; Rochester, New York; and Ferndale, Washington.

After retiring Helen returned to her artistic roots, teaching art classes at the local Senior Center in Bellingham, Washington. Later, when she and Dick moved to assisted living in Olympia, she continued to paint, using part of the Activities Room to work on her art. She became an active member of the Olympia Art League, participating in art challenges and holding multiple art exhibitions in her 80s and 90s. She also taught art classes to fellow residents, sharing her passion and knowledge with others.

Helen was deeply committed to lifelong learning, a value she passed on to her children and grandchildren. She will be remembered for her boundless curiosity, the many creative projects she always had in the works, and her genuine interest in others.

Helen was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dick. She is survived by her children: Karl (Jody), Michelle (Mark), and Stanley (Barbara); five grandchildren: Joseph, Karly Jo, Kurtis (Samantha), Joshua (Kelsey), and Sarah “Aly”; and two great-grandchildren, Edmund and Colin.

Richard Lee ‘Dick’ Harris

March 24, 1934 — January 14, 2023

Richard Lee “Dick” Harris passed away peacefully at his residence in Olympia on Jan. 14, 2023.

Dick was born 88 years ago in Worthington, Minnesota to Alvin and Sarah Harris. Not long afterward, his family moved to the upper Skagit Valley, where they welcomed a sister Loretta and a brother Marvin “Jim” to their family. Both Loretta and Jim preceded Dick in death.

Although Dick loved his upbringing and his life in the upper Skagit, he left Concrete at age 17 to go off to college. While he never moved back to the upper Skagit, it was always in his heart.

Dick attended Blackburn College in southern Illinois, then acquired bachelors and masters degrees from Western Washington University and his Doctorate of Education from Washington State University. Being a Cougar fan was a guilty pleasure that Dick couldn’t ever break free from.

At Blackburn, Dick met Helen Voigt of Oak Park, Illinois. They married in 1956 and had three children; Karl (Jody), Michelle (Mark), and Stanley (Barbara), five grandchildren; Joseph, Karly Jo, Kurtis, Joshua and Sarah “Aly,” and two great grandchildren: Edmund and Colin.

Dick’s first job in education at age 19 was as a junior high history teacher and high school track coach. Some of his track participants were the same age as he was. Dick taught throughout Washington until 1969, then he became the Dean of Continuing Education at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen.

In 1981, Dick and Helen moved to Rochester, New York, for a job at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He first retired in 1986. They moved back to Washington and settled in Bellingham. Dick became a Master Gardener and actively wrote poetry, although after a couple of years of tending his one-acre garden and writing he went back to work as an administrator at Western Washington University, officially retiring in 1990. Dick lived life fully.

While writing prolifically and publishing two poetry books, he also enjoyed gardening, traveling and leading educational trips through the Skagit Valley and Europe. Dick and Helen moved to Olympia in 2019 where Helen continues to reside.

Dick is remembered as a gentle, thoughtful man with a wonderful sense of humor.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.