Longtime Harvard resident, World War II veteran, athlete, artisan
Ronnie Harris (Courtesy photo)
After a brief illness, longtime Harvard resident Ragnhild (Ronnie) M. Harris (van den Bogaert), age 91, of River Court Residences in West Groton, died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013, with loving family at her side. Ronnie was born April 26, 1922, on Java, Dutch East Indies, to Alexander and Charlotte (Grüner) van den Bogaert. She is survived by two sons, Russell H. of Groton and Roger J. of Stockton, N.J.; and one daughter, Sally H. Reed of Groton; five granddaughters and one grandson; and three great-grandchildren. Her husband of 62 years, Dr. Jeffrey H. Harris, died in June 2010.
Ronnie’s family moved to Melbourne, Australia, when she was nine months old, and moved to Harrogate, England, a suburb of London, when she was nine years old. At the outbreak of World War II, she came to Boston to study physical therapy at the Bouvé School, now the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. During the war, Ronnie served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant in the Pacific and European theaters. She became a United States citizen while serving in New Caledonia. During the war, her older brother Edward, a pilot, served in the Royal Dutch Air Force in England as part of the Coastal Command, before dying in January, 1943, in the crash of a Hudson bomber. Ronnie was demobilized from the Army, receiving an honorable discharge at Fort Dix, N.J., on November 10, 1945.
After the war, she returned to Boston and met Jeffrey H. Harris of Waban. They were married August, 1948, in Seattle, Wash., where her parents had settled. The couple lived in Providence, R.I., while Jeff completed his medical residency. Their final move was to Harvard in 1954, where Jeff became the town doctor. In the early years, Dr. Harris’s medical practice was in their house, with Ronnie managing the office. As sole medical provider in town, Dr. Harris had many emergencies requiring him to be on call 24 hours day, while Ronnie took care of the office and cared for three young children.
Ronnie loved sports, both as a spectator and participant. Tennis and skiing were passions she enjoyed from her youth into late middle age. Even after she could no longer play tennis competitively, she loved watching major tennis tournaments. She was a volunteer, driving for Harvard Help for many years, as well as participating as a member of the Harvard Woman’s Club. Later in life she developed an avocation as a basket maker, earning a local reputation for beautiful, creatively imagined baskets that commanded high prices at local fund-raising auctions. For 25 years, she enjoyed extended summers living at a simple cabin on Bare Hill Pond, savoring the peace and serenity of the natural environment.
Funeral arrangements are being made by Badger Funeral Home and will be announced at a later date.
