Elaine Rita Harrison

Elaine Rita Harrison, 82, beloved wife of the late James Henry Harrison, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 15, 2018. She was born in Wilson, North Carolina in 1935 and resided in Falls Church, VA for 54 years. Elaine began her career as an emergency room nurse at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC in 1958 where she met her husband who was a D.C. Police Officer. She became a surgical supervisor and opened the Intensive Care Unit at Georgetown. After that Elaine was a nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital from 1973 to 1974. She later retired as Head Nurse in Neurology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland where she worked from 1974-1996. Before finishing her career at NIH, she became published in several journals and was awarded many accolades. She received her Bachelor's degree in Nursing from Cornell University in 1958 and a Master's degree in Nursing from George Mason University in 1986. She became certified in Nursing Administration from the American Nurses Association and was a member of several nursing honor societies in neurology and ethics. Elaine was also a member of the Red Hat Society and Black and Bling group. She is survived by her children; Kathleen A. Harrison of McLean, VA and Patrick J. Harrison and his wife Angela M. Harrison of Falls Church as well as several nieces and nephews. A Catholic Mass will be held at St. James Catholic Church on Saturday, March 17th at 10:00 am, 905 Park Avenue in Falls Church.