Harriet Jessie (Yelvington) Worrell was a mother, grandmother, educator, playwright, actor, and director born in San Antonio, Texas on July 25, 1943. She passed away on March 16, 2022, at the age of 78, surrounded at home by her family in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.

Named after her father's sister Hattie Mae for whom she shared a birthday, Harriet was born into a creative home to Louise Durham and Leonard Ramsey Yelvington. She grew up with her older sister Margaret Louise in Boerne, TX and as a teenager she moved to Wimberly, TX where she graduated from San Marcos High School. She attended Southwest Texas State College (now Texas State University) where she received a bachelor's degree in the arts in 1967.

Harriet met and worked with her first husband, David Bruce Smith, at the San Jose Mission in San Antonio during a production of A Cloud of Witnesses , a play written by her father. They welcomed their daughter Margaret (Meg) Louise Smith on April 15, 1963.

Following their work in theater, the Smith family traveled as they performed in one production after another throughout Texas, finally making their way to Louisville, Kentucky. During this time, David and Harriet separated and then divorced. Harriet and Meg settled for the next few years in Louisville where she taught high school theatre.

Eventually moving back to Texas, Harriet continued teaching and directing at Canyon High School in New Braunfels where she met local English teacher and coach, Charles W. Worrell, Jr. The Texan couple were kindred wandering spirits, marrying on June 13, 1974. Continuing to migrate around the state, Chuck and Harriet introduced four additional members to the ensemble with Deacon Yelvington in 1975, Ramsey Gibson in 1976, Perrin Caetlin in 1977, and Temple Dean Harrington in 1979.

Harriet and Chuck's nomadic and creative lifestyle continued in Texas until they transplanted themselves to the mountains of Vermont in 1986. Attempting to find a solid perch, Harriet took positions around town as a docent at Billings Farm and transporting a student to school in Barre, until finally landing a leading role as Cultural Activities Director and Drama Teacher at Woodstock Union High School.

Harriet developed the theater program at WUHS into the Yoh Theatre Players, a life-changing safe haven for countless students. Woodstock and surrounding communities gave her a reason to stay in one place. Over her career, Harriet produced, directed, wrote, and acted in hundreds of plays, festivals, and theatrical events. She established the

Speakchorus form, and wrote memorable scripts that students recite to this day. Harriet challenged youth to grow, embrace knowledge, and find the voices within.

Harriet wrote, "My memories are spontaneously collecting into whole satisfactory sensations: the formidable presence of inexperienced energy filling the auditorium; the subtle four-year transformation from child to performance veteran; the articulate sounds and silences of audiences; the unrelenting search of young people for the power of art in themselves and the voiceless shouts of joy to the gods when they find it; sweet performances far past age expectation; the adult faces who are always there; the comfort of a patient spouse. And all of this bathed in heavenly language that saturates my very pores. Bless you all for allowing me the unabridged fun of it. We have a history together. And continuity."

Harriet was predeceased in life by her husband, Charles William Worrell, Jr; father, Ramsey Yelvington; mother, Louise Denham; sister, Margaret Gallatin; aunt, Hattie Mae March; stepfather, William E Denham, Sr; stepbrother, William E Denham, Jr; nephew, Gene Gallatin, and grandsons, Banning Scherbatskoy and Cash Worrell. Harriet is survived by children Margaret Scherbatskoy and husband Jonathan, Deacon Worrell, Ramsey Worrell and fiancee Noelle Nunes, Perrin Riendeau and husband Jeff, and Temple Worrell and wife Teressa Brown; stepchildren, Lance Baucum and wife Jessica and Jennifer Fulton and husband Danny; stepbrother, James Denham and wife Molly; stepsisters, Priscilla Denham and Elizabeth Thompson and husband Phillip; step sister-in-law, Laura Denham; brother-in-law Albert and niece Marcia Gallatin; cousins; Benjamin March and wife Suzii and Ann Stricklin and husband Gil; best friends, Michael Schroeder and Cheryl Larson and husband Steve; Larson children-of-her-heart, Joy (Hafen), Nathan, Brigham, Jordan, and Chris (Cammock). Grammy's grandchildren, Genoa, Ekaterina and fiancee Eddie Grace, and Emelin Scherbatskoy; Harrison Nunes, Connor and Owen Riendeau, Brittani, Connor and Amy-Grace Baucum and Caleb Fulton. Grinky's grandchild Colt Worrell, along with more nieces, nephews and cousins, many friends, colleagues, and innumerable students.

A glorious service was held at the Yoh Theatre on March 21. A celebration of life production party will be held on August 13 or 14, date and location to be finalized soon. Those who want to honor Harriet can make donations to the WUHS Yoh Theatre Program (Attn: Marcia Bender, WUHS , 100 Amsden Way, Woodstock, VT 05091 ).

An on-line guest book can be found at cabotfh.com