Opal A. (Riley) Harry

Opal A. Harry, age 95, passed away at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 6, 2026 at Via Christi Village surrounded by her family.

She was born on a farm near Asbury, Missouri, to Alva and Bertha (Sandy) Riley on May 6, 1930. After graduating from high school, she attended summer school at Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, passed a teacher’s exam, and started teaching in a rural one-room school.

It was at a pie box event at the school that she met and later married Cecil harry, a handsome young teacher in a neighboring school district.

She was a homemaker while her children were small. Later, she was a secretary at PSU for 24 years.

Opal was a member of Trinity Baptist Church since 1959. She could not attend church during her later years because of health reasons. Her unwavering faith sustained her through life with strength, quiet joy, and kindness. She always offered love and a listening ear to family and friends.

She is survived by her children Michael Harry, Diana (Frank) Lyon, and Melinda Harry, four granddaughters, and seven great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Harry; a daughter and son-in-law, Janice and Jerry Browning, daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Harry, brother, Leon (Joyce) Riley and sister Wilma (Glen) Hunt.

A Private memorial will be at a later date for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, our family invites you to join them in doing an act of kindness in her memory. They also extend their heartfelt gratitude for those who offered support and compassion.  Friends may leave condolences online at www.brennermortuary.com. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary, Pittsburg, KS.

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