Judith Harrison embodies a prolific trajectory, at 85 years old, where talents and disciplines combine with rigor. A teacher, travel writer, literary researcher, and ASID interior designer with refined tastes, she weaves a coherent life’s work. Trained at Washington University in St. Louis, she sharpens her pen and her method between the United States and Belgium. Her universe combines demanding reading, music, and design, driven by a flutist and a lover of travel with an endlessly curious taste. A wife, mother, and grandmother, she traverses Greenwich, Darien, and West Point, an exceptional teacher and literary researcher, faithful to elegance. This portrait reflects her professional transformations, her aesthetic fidelities, and the generous energy that irrigates her legacies.
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| Name: Judith Cole Harrison, 85 years old. |
| Death: June 1, 2025, in Darien. |
| Birth: May 15, 1940, in Berwick (Pennsylvania). |
| Family: wife of Matthew Harrison (53 years of marriage); mother of Cecily Urenay (Gokay) and Page Gostling (Peter). |
| Grandchildren: Berker, Arman, Win, Chips. |
| Siblings: middle child in a family of five; surviving brothers Mike and David Cole; many nephews and nieces. |
| Education: graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. |
| CAREERS: teacher, researcher (credited in the award-winning book by Dean Acheson), travel writer. |
| International: worked in the United States and in Belgium since the early years of marriage. |
| Second career: interior designer accredited ASID after raising her daughters. |
| Residences: over 30 years in Greenwich, then moved to Darien to be closer to family. |
| Passions: travel, reading, music (accomplished flutist), design, learning, art of receiving. |
| Qualities: kindness, intelligence, elegance, sense of humor. |
| Adaptability: constant support for her husband’s military and civil career; many successful relocations. |
| Late creativity: new recipes; sewing gifts for her grandsons. |
| Tribute: service at the Old Cadet Chapel of West Point on September 12; burial at the West Point cemetery. |
| Wishes: donations to Bravo! Waterbury in lieu of flowers (musical program for underprivileged children). |
| Condolences: messages possible via Lawrence Funeral Home. |
Family Background and Origins
Born on May 15, 1940, in Berwick, Pennsylvania, Judith Cole Harrison grew up as the middle child in a family of five.
As the daughter of Harry and Betty Cole, she cultivated a keen curiosity and a strong sense of responsibility early on.
She passed away in Darien on June 1, 2025, at 85 years old, leaving a loyal and attentive family behind.
Her brothers Mike and David Cole survive her, along with a large number of nephews and nieces.
Her kindness, intelligence, and elegance remain cited by all, delicate markers of a unique presence.
Education and Early Career
Graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, she began a demanding journey, both rigorous, inventive, and fruitful.
She taught, conducted research on books, and was credited in Dean Acheson’s work, Present at the Creation.
She also worked as a travel writer in the United States and Belgium, where the couple settled as newlyweds.
Teacher, researcher, writer, designer: a multifaceted trajectory.
Marital Life, Expatriation, and Sense of Duty
Married to Matthew Harrison for fifty-three years, she consistently supported a career of both military officer and civil leader.
The successive changes strengthened her adaptability, nurtured her curiosity, and consolidated unwavering hospitality in every home.
Their relocation to Belgium in the early years broadened their horizons and cemented a flexible and responsive complicity.
Interior Designer and Aesthetic Demands
After raising their daughters, she pursued her passion for aesthetics as an accredited ASID interior designer.
Her projects reflected a precise visual culture, careful ergonomics, and a constant search for material harmony.
The couple lived for over thirty years in Greenwich, then moved to Darien last year to be closer to their daughters.
Tastes, Passions, and Intellectual Curiosity
Travel, reading, and music structured her daily life, carried by a strong and refined practice of the flute.
An accomplished flutist with eclectic tastes.
She learned continuously, experimented with new recipes, and perfected her domestic skills with a contagious eagerness.
Objects, textiles, and books formed an intimate, discreet, and coherent landscape, designed to live and transmit.
Transmission, Generosity, and the Art of Hosting
From a clever mind, she loved to offer tips or tools that made life easier for her loved ones.
Family gatherings revealed a thoughtful, humorous hostess who knew how to laugh at herself with rare urbanity.
She sewed gifts for her grandsons and created lasting memories through delicate gestures.
Grace, warmth, humor: an unforgettable presence.
Family and Connections
The couple raised two daughters, Cecily Urenay (Gokay) and Page Gostling (Peter), emotional pillars and companions through decisive stages.
Four grandsons, Berker, Arman, Win, and Chips, received constant attention, through games, readings, cooking, and textile crafts.
Referred to as Judy, Judith maintained a benevolent closeness with each generation, patiently weaving strong and sincere bonds.
Her memory lives on in Matthew, Cecily, Page, and her four grandsons Berker, Arman, Win, and Chips.
Final Years, Passing, and Tributes
A service honored her memory on September 12 at the Old Cadet Chapel of West Point, followed by burial.
The funeral took place that day, gathering family and friends around a simple and luminous tribute.
Donations in her memory can be directed to Bravo! Waterbury, which provides musical access to underprivileged children.
Online condolences can be collected at Lawrence Funeral Home, the establishment that published the notice and supported the family.
Chronological Milestones
Born on May 15, 1940, in Berwick; passed away on June 1, 2025, in Darien; funeral held on September 12.
Married to Matthew Harrison for fifty-three years; three decades in Greenwich; moved to Darien last year near their daughters.
