Jeffrey Eugene Harris, a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., died peacefully in his sleep at his summer home in Hull on Aug. 31. He was 60.
Jeff was the beloved husband of Anna-Liza (Brennan) Harris. Together they shared 34 loving years of marriage. He and Anna-Liza met when she interviewed him for an internship. It is rare to learn someone’s GPA before a first date, but he got the job and the girl.
Jeff was the devoted father of Michael G. Harris and Elizabeth K. Harris, both of Washington, D.C. While his children were growing up, he was a regular presence at Michael’s soccer games and tennis matches and Elizabeth’s swim meets, always with a camera in his hand. He enjoyed photographing his family’s activities and the beautiful sunsets from his porch in Hull.
Jeff was a cherished son of Donald B. and Dorothy J. Harris, of Lewes, Del., and Bethesda, Md. He was the dear brother of Donald M. Harris and his wife, Dr. Jane Baxter, of Washington, D.C.; and Lindsay A. Harris and her husband, Peter Schaffer, of Falls Church, Va.; and the dear brother-in-law of Marie (Brennan) Niland, of Hull. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Jeff was a senior strategic advisor with Sellers Dorsey & Associates and a leading expert on Medicaid financing. He cared deeply about his work, which involved strengthening Medicaid for vulnerable populations with limited access to health care. He gave enormously of his time and provided good counsel to his colleagues and many friends in the world of health care finance.
Before joining Sellers Dorsey, he was a principal of Spivey/Harris Health Policy Group, was a senior policy analyst for Medicaid issues at the National Governors’ Association, and served in a similar role for the American Public Welfare Association.
Jeff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1984) and the George Washington University (M.P.A., 1986). He also graduated from the Landon School in Bethesda, Md., in 1980 and later served on Landon’s board of trustees.
He had many lifelong interests, especially opera, architecture, American history, and, passionately, D.C. sports. His favorite weekly ritual was a Monday morning rundown of the weekend’s spectator sports with a dear friend.
He was known for his quick-witted sense of humor and, most of all, for his boundless love for his family. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held on a later date. The family requests that any remembrances of Jeff take the form of donations to Wellspring, https://wellspringmultiservice.org, a charitable organization in Hull.
See www.Keohane.com for online condolences.
