Harriet Lois Capron
Port Townsend, Wash.
Feb. 23, 1937 – Jan. 14, 2017
Harriet Lois Capron died peacefully Jan. 14, 2017 in Port Townsend, Wash. Harriet was a woman ahead of her time and often a real force of nature. She graduated from St. Mary’s Notre Dame, remaining an Irish fan her entire life. She then went to work for Boeing in its nascent computer department. She was lured away from Boeing to teach at North Seattle Community College in the computer department, where she trained many successful young people. While teaching, she reviewed many textbooks and was eventually recruited by Benjamin Publishing, for whom she authored seven world bestselling textbooks in the computer field.
In the 1990s she decided to go to law school. While in Friday Harbor and Port Townsend she practiced trust and estates law, and also served as guardian ad litem for children from troubled families. Her work was highly respected in whatever position she held.
Harriet was incredibly generous with her time, talent and treasure. She had a lovely voice, playing guitar and singing folk songs during the sixties. She was a Sweet Adeline judge and traveled the world viewing singing competitions. She volunteered at the crisis clinic and the food bank, supported many charities, and contributed to her community as well, most recently to Make Waves, the committee working to create a community center and pool in Port Townsend.
She had a wicked sense of humor, and could “spin” a story better than anyone. Harriet grew up a Girl Scout, and loved to hike in the woods and walk Greenlake, which she did every day for the twenty years she lived there.
She was proud of her family. She was a political junkie, and a diehard Mariners fan; in her last years, she made sure to take her family at least once to the All Star Club at Safeco Field to see her team. She is much loved and will be sorely missed.
She is survived by her spouse, Susan, nephew William Capron, nieces Nancy Capron Eidsmoe, Wendy Capron Greenough, and Robin Capron, as well as myriad lifelong friends.
A memorial gathering will be held in the spring at the Silverwater Cafe, in honor of Harriet's tradition of throwing an Easter party after Easter.
