Myrtle Elizabeth Pipersburg Harris
Myrtle Elizabeth Pipersburg Harris was born in Belize City, Belize, on November 4, 1937, to Osborn Wilferd Pipersburg and Rosalyn Dogma Taylor. Myrtle was the second oldest of two siblings: Valerie Harvey and Sonia Pollard.
Myrtle moved to Santa Barbara, California, in 1968 to establish permanent residency in the United States. She soon began attending St. Paul AME Church with her mother, Rose Stone, and often helped raise money to support church programs. Myrtle remained a devoted member of St. Paul AME Church throughout her lifetime. A couple of years after arriving in Santa Barbara, Myrtle married Ambrose Harris and gave birth to Ambrose E. Harris.
Determined to pursue her passion for caregiving, Myrtle enrolled in Santa Barbara City College to obtain her Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license. Due to health challenges, she was unable to complete her LVN coursework. However, she used her training to begin her career as a caregiver. Myrtle was employed at Samarkand Assisted Living and worked as a private home care provider. She also worked at Hughes Aerospace and Santa Barbara Research as an electronic circuit board technician, where she was selected to work on circuit boards for NASA. As a foster parent in Santa Barbara County, she cared for and nurtured many babies and children awaiting placement in the foster care system.
After fighting a courageous battle with heart disease and diabetes, Myrtle Elizabeth Harris peacefully passed away on March 12, 2025, in the loving care and home of her daughter, Phillippa, and son-in-law, Zachary Marsh, in Corona, California. Myrtle was preceded in death by her husband Ambrose Harris, sister Sonia Pollard McNair, daughter Carol Ijewere, and son Phillip Pipersburg.
Myrtle was a phenomenal mother who leaves to cherish her memory: her sister, Valerie Harvey; children: Phillippa Marsh, Edwin Pipersburg, Evelyn Pipersburg Webb, Jamesett Orosco, Wayne Orosco, and Ambrose Harris; plus ninety-two grandchildren, other relatives, and many acquaintances. A matriarch, with roots and branches that run far and wide like the mangrove trees of her birthplace, Belize, she will remain in our hearts forever.
The viewing will be held on April 10, 2025, 5:00pm – 6:30pm at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapels at 15 East Sola Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
The memorial service will be on April 11, 2025, 1:00pm at Southcoast Church at 5814 Cathedral Oaks Road Goleta, California 93117.
