Harriet Jane Warne was born in Phoenix, Arizona on July 25, 1945 and passed away at home in Canyon Lake, California on October 11, 2019, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her son John Fielden; grand-daughter Brittany Fielden; sisters Benna Wilson, Helena Wallis, Molly Shores; and her brother Michael Shores. She was preceded in death by her brother Gavin Wallis.
She spent her early life in and around Phoenix Arizona. From a wide-eyed 1 year old gaping in astonishment at Santa, Harriet grew to a woman who was fascinated by nature, science, and history. As a young girl, she attended several Phoenix area schools: William T. Machan elementary school, Madison No 2 elementary school, and Camelback High School. At Camelback High School she participated in drama, played the violin in the orchestra, and was on the school newspaper staff. Harriet graduated High School in 1963. After High School Harriet attended Phoenix Community College.
In 1965, Harriet gave birth to her only child, John Fielden.
Harriet joined the army and was in Officer’s Candidate School in 1968. From 1974 to 1977 Harriet attended college at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Primate Studies, graduating Cum Laude. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in Primate Studies from Millard Fillmore College in 1977. Harriet then attended Rutgers from 1979 to 1980 in pursuit of a Ph.D in Anthropology.
Harriet spent 10 years as a park ranger for the National Park Service. From 1979 to 1983 she worked as a summer seasonal ranger at Walnut Canyon, Arizona. From 1983 to 1989 she worked as a ranger at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. From 1989 to 1998, Harriet worked for the Environmental Protection Agency as a field agent and inspector.
She moved to Boone North Carolina in her later years. Harriet considered Boone to be one of the most beautiful areas of the country. While she had many friends in North Carolina and loved living there, she moved to Canyon Lake, California to help her sister Helena Wallis. who had suffered a broken hip. Harriet spent her remaining years in Canyon Lake.
A life-long lover of reading, Harriet had an extensive collection of books on topics of archeology, history, and literature. She was a devoted fan of Science Fiction, the genre in which most of the books in her collection belonged.
Harriet referred to herself as a Liberal with a capital “L”. She championed liberal causes of all kinds, and took strong environmental and human rights stands. She used to say that she was a country music fan, before it was cool. She was extremely proud of her Scottish heritage, and loved to discuss Scottish history and the family’s connection to famous Scots.
Harriet loved animals of all kinds, but she especially loved her corgi dog B Sue (Beverly Sue), who died some years ago. She missed her B Sue terribly for the rest of her life. Harriet was extremely bright. She will be remembered for her inquisitive nature and deep love of nature, science, and politics.
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