Jodye Elaine (Thompson) Harrison

“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

There are some people whose lives cannot be measured by years, accomplishments, or the number of days they were given. Their lives are measured instead by the love they planted in other people, the lives they touched, the hands they held, the prayers they whispered, and the hearts they made feel at home.

Jodye was one of those people.

Born in Avilla, Arkansas, Jodye spent her life learning what it meant to love through action. She devoted many years to caring for others in home healthcare, where she found purpose in tending to those who could no longer care for themselves. She understood that there was dignity in every person and tenderness in every act of care. She gave her time, her hands, and her heart freely.

Of all the things she accomplished in this life, she would have considered none more precious than the family she built.

Her children were among her greatest joys and her grandchildren were treasures beyond measure. Her great-grandchildren were another beautiful chapter in the family she loved so deeply. Her greatest legacy was the people she loved into becoming who they are.

Jodye was a woman of faith. She put God first, not only in words, but in the way she lived h er life. Her faith was woven through her days, her decisions, her prayers, and the way she loved other people. She trusted in the Lord, and now, after a lifetime of walking by faith, she has taken the final steps Home.

She had a gift for preserving moments. She loved taking pictures of the little pieces of life that might otherwise have passed unnoticed. Perhaps that was another reflection of the way she loved, she noticed people and moments. She understood, perhaps better than most, that ordinary days become precious memories before we realize they are gone.

She leaves behind a lifetime of photographs, stories, prayers, laughter, and love.

She leaves behind the people she raised, the children she adored, the grandchildren who knew her love, and a family forever changed because she was in it.

She is preceded in death by her beloved best friend and husband of over 40 years, Roy Harrison Sr.; her parents, Ruth and Doyle Ashley; and brothers, Samuel Coburn, Dave Coburn, and R.C. Coburn.

She is survived by her two sons, Daniel (Amber) Thompson of Hot Springs, AR and Roy (Amber) Harrison Jr. of Bauxite, AR, one daughter, Priscilla (Rodney) Ellwood of Bryant, AR; her grandchildren Brianna (Bryce) Thompson, Ethan (Emma) Thompson, Mason Ellwood, Roy Tripp Harrison, Jimmy Nash Harrison, and Jodye Kathleen Harrison; her beloved great-grandchildren, Rhett and Vivian Peterson; her siblings Pat Nash of Bauxite, AR, Johnny Thompson of Tulip, AR, Mike (Lisa) Thompson of Viola, AR, and Missy (Mike) Long of Hot Springs, AR; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends whose lives were made richer by knowing her.

But perhaps “survived by” is not quite the right way to say it, because Jodye did not leave her family empty-handed. She left them pieces of herself in the tenderness they show one another, in the prayers they pray, in the photographs they will keep, in the stories they will tell again and again, in the traditions they will carry forward, in the love they will give their children and grandchildren, and in every somber moment when they remember the sound of her voice.

She will be there.

And so, while her family will grieve the absence of her earthly presence, they do not have to be afraid for her. She is not lost, wandering, or alone. The woman who spent her life caring for others has finally been cared for by the One she trusted above all else.

She has finished her earthly journey. She has gone Home. And in Heaven, she is no longer tired, hurting, or bound by the limitations of this world. She is standing in the presence of the Lord she loved, surrounded by the peace she spent a lifetime knowing was waiting for her.

Her hands may be still now, but the love she gave them is not. Her voice may be quiet, but the things she taught them will continue to speak. Her photographs may eventually fade, but the moments she captured will live on. And her place in the hearts of those who loved her will remain untouched by death.

May the family she loved so dearly find comfort in knowing that the Lord she trusted has welcomed her safely into His arms.

And may they never forget that a life so deeply loved is never truly gone.

Arrangements by Arkansas Cremation, 10515 W Markham St, Suite B1, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205. If you would like to leave a message of condolence to the family, you may do so using the Guestbook section.

www.arkansascremation.com