Rebecca Clary Harris died suddenly on Saturday, September 8, 2007, surrounded by friends and family and by the side of her treasured husband, Justin.
Becca was born in San Antonio, Texas, February 9, 1975, and was raised in Richmond. She attended St. Bridget's School, and graduated from St. Catherine's School and the University of Virginia.
She then taught at St. Catherine's as an aide in Kindergarten before returning to school at Medical College of Virginia for postgraduate education leading to a Masters of Science in Physiology. Becca continued at Medical College of Virginia Medical School, graduating in 2005, to become the third generation of physicians in her family.
After marrying Justin Dillard Harris of Charlottesville in 2005, she completed a one-year residency in Internal Medicine at Medical College of Virginia, and then in 2006 began a two-year fellowship at University of Virginia, in which she was involved at the time of her death. She had a life-long interest in diseases of the skin, winning an award at St. Catherine's for work with Dr. Hazle Konerding. While in med school she worked with the Check Your Skin Club to raise melanoma awareness in the community. She was currently a Research Fellow studying Melanoma Immunotherapy in the lab of Dr. Craig Slingluff at University of Virginia. She held an NIH grant through the Beirne B. Carter Center to support her work.
She had been active in volunteer work throughout her short life, serving as a Young Life Leader, a Sunday School teacher at St. Stephen's Church in Richmond, a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and a volunteer in the Fan Free Clinic. While at Medical College of Virginia, she served as Health Care Camp Counselor for Virginia Commonwealth University's program Exploring Health Care, was a mentor for University of Richmond's Premedical Mentorship program, and a Group Leader for the Foundations of Clinical Medicine Program. In addition, she went with the Hummingbird Fellowship from St. Stephen's Church on a medical mission to the Dominican Republic.
Her outgoing personality and beautiful smile extended through every aspect of her life. She made new friends everywhere she went and could brighten a room just by walking in. This carried over to her professional life, where, in addition to her interest in research, her true love was the care of clinical patients. Her heart was filled with love, and almost the only thing that upset her was injustice in the world.
She is survived by her husband, her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Richard M. Clary; two sisters, Kathryn Clary Angus and Margaret Moncure Clary; brother-in-law, Jason Scott Angus; niece and nephew, Mae Wallace Angus and Walker Scott Angus; in-laws Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Harris; brother-in-law, Byron Harris and his wife, Jamie.
Survivors also include an uncle, Forrest Dickinson; aunts, Mary Clary, Kathy Dickinson, and Anna Paige Dickinson; cousins, George and William Dickinson, Boyd, John, Charles and Jim Clary; life long friends, Meg Morton Sauer and KK Harris McCart; and many other loving friends and family.
Memorial contributions may be sent to The Human Immune Therapy Center (Melanoma Research), University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801457, Charlottesville, VA 22908; St. Catherine's School, 6001 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226; St. Stephen's Church (Medical Mission) Hummingbird Fellowship, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226; or the charity of your choice.
A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen's Church at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, 2007.