Tupelo – Louise Lambert Harris, 88, wife of USAF Col. Carlyle S. Harris Ret. of Tupelo, MS passed away at Sanctuary Hospice House on May 6, 2026. Originally born in Mobile, AL, to her parents Prentiss and Mary Lambert. She also spent a large portion of her childhood with grandparents Hattie and Robert Carlton Rindeleau. She attended her beloved St. Genevieve of the Pines for most of her adolescence and later attended Florida State University.

Louise met Carlyle S. “Smitty” Harris on a date with another suitor in 1958. On their first date, Smitty accidentally referred to her as “Jane.” Never one to miss a beat, Louise responded saying, “whoah there Tarzan, get your dates in line.” They quickly fell in love and were married in 1959. Louise was eight months pregnant with their third child and stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan when then Capt. Harris was shot down over North Vietnam in 1965. Her husband was the sixth shootdown captured in the Vietnam War.

There is no guide to raising three children while their father is in a North Vietnamese prison camp. Louise was suddenly faced with overwhelming circumstances. Quickly, one thing became clear — Louise Harris was a force of nature. She was the first POW wife to navigate the bureaucracy for wives and families to receive benefits. She participated in covert operations through her packages to Smitty in cooperation with the US military.

Through sheer power of will, wit, and resilience, Louise took on every challenge she faced with an undeniable grace. She was active in her children’s lives, taking on roles such as home room mother and Scout leader. Importantly, she kept her family intact and even flourishing, often stating “if Smitty can do what he is doing, I can do this.”

Louise moved her family to Tupelo, MS, where they remained throughout Smitty’s captivity. Tupelo’s community surrounded the Harris family with love during this difficult time. After seven years and ten months apart, they got the news that Carlyle Smith Harris Sr. was returning home. Louise would often recall the strange rush of nervousness followed by unadulterated jubilation when she picked up the phone with her beloved Smitty on the other line for the first time in nearly eight years and he stated, “Hi there Jane, this is Tarzan, and I’m coming home!”

Upon his return, the family relocated to Maxwell Airforce Base in Montgomery, AL, where Col. Harris finished his military career. Following his retirement, they returned to the community that had nurtured their family during their hardest days in Tupelo, MS. After their return to Tupelo, Louise attended Ittawamba Community College’s nursing program at age 50 and later served as an oncology nurse at North Mississippi Medical center.

Louise was an active community member for her entire life. She was a leader among officers wives clubs at every duty station the family was placed, hosting many seminars for their squadrons. She was a life member and treasurer of Junior Auxiliary in Tupelo. In August of 2000, on a medical mission trip to Mexico, the founding idea of the Sanctuary Hospice House was born. Along with her cofounders (including Smitty), Louise was a guiding light through years of fundraising, meaningful connections in Washington, D.C., and wise counsel that helped shape the organization’s mission and growth. They fought diligently in the Mississippi Statehouse and US Congress to establish the first freestanding hospice facility in the United States. Louise carried a quiet strength, incredible wisdom, and a calming presence that brought comfort to everyone around her, leaving behind a legacy of faith, compassion, and leadership that will continue to live on through Sanctuary Hospice and the countless lives she touched. The family extends a special thank you to the hardworking staff at Sanctuary Hospice, where she and her husband spent their last days, along with her caretakers, Rita Cruz and Cindy Jones.

Col. Smitty and Louise Harris shared no greater joy than their large family. They are remembered fondly by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. “Khaki and Granddad” were a fixture in the lives of their loved ones.

The love shared by Louise and Smitty spanned wars, decades, and any hardship. Louise would often recount they “never ever missed a beat.” Their love story is memorialized in the book, “Tapcode”, and in the hearts of all who knew them. On May 6, they were reunited in lasting eternity. She will be greatly missed by her surviving family and warmly greeted by those she meets again in Heaven.

Survivors include her three children, Robin Harris Waldrip (Ken), Carolyn Harris Cole (Chris), and Carlyle “Lyle” Smith Harris Jr. (Cindy); seven grandchildren, Reid Waldrip (Kaylee), Lauren Waldrip Zuelzke (Jim), Camie Cole, Carrie Anne Cole, USAF Captain Thomas Harris (Peyton), Blake Harris (Ali), and Jack Harris; six great-grandchildren, Sam and Maggie Waldrip, Mary Lyle and Bo Zuelzke, Hazel Blake and Carlyle Smith Harris III; and a multitude of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Col. Carlyle Smith Harris Sr.; her parents, Prentiss and Mary Lambert; grandparents, Hattie and Robert Carlton Rindeleau; her sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Richard Blake; along with her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Early Joseph and Robin Harris.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time Monday, May 11, 2026, at Pegues, Tupelo.

A memorial service honoring Mrs. Louise Harris will be at 11 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Jefferson Street Chapel of Pegues Funeral Directors with Bro. Brian Collier officiating.

Pallbearers will be Reid Waldrip, Jim Zuelzke, Thomas Harris, Blake Harris, Jack Harris, Ken Waldrip, and Chris Cole.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sanctuary Hospice House, PO Box 2177, Tupelo, MS 38803 or a charity of your choice.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be left at www.PeguesFuneralHome.com.