Haynie-Sirrine Neighborhood Special Notification

It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Felsie Harris, our long-time leader and neighborhood advocate. Felsie passed away peacefully early on the morning of Wednesday, April 29th, and was with her husband Lark and her loving family over her last few days. She was 79 years old.

Felsie was born in 1947 and lived in the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood for most of her life. She grew up on Dixon Avenue with her parents, grandparents, and five younger siblings. She attended Sullivan Street Elementary and graduated from Sterling High School in 1965. After graduating from high school, she continued to live in Haynie-Sirrine as a wife and mother of five children. In 1998 she was elected by the neighborhood residents to be president of the Haynie-Sirrine Neighborhood Association, a position that she continued to hold for the past 28 years.

Haynie-Sirrine is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Greenville. It has a large and diverse geographic footprint. County Square and University Ridge represent the north end of the neighborhood, with Tindal Avenue on the south, Biltmore on the east, and Augusta on the west. Haynie-Sirrine is an "in-town" neighborhood that enjoys its proximity to downtown but also values its unique neighborhood character and walkable, friendly environment. The neighborhood has a long history, and to which, over the arc of her life, Felsie has made many contributions.

In her role as neighborhood president, Felsie served as an inspirational leader and tireless advocate for Haynie-Sirrine during a period of great change and transition. The neighborhood has experienced significant growth and development, highlighted by the County Square Redevelopment project, and is now a mix of new residents, and those that have lived here for decades. We reside in apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and single-family homes, and represent many backgrounds. During this period of change, Felsie often worked alone as the neighborhood's sole advocate. She was committed to protecting the character of the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood by balancing the impact of development with the interests of our neighborhood residents. In recent years, Felsie was actively engaged in providing leadership in the development of the neighborhood's updated master plan, which led to the neighborhood's recent rezoning initiative with the City of Greenville. This master plan and rezoning will guide the future development and growth of Haynie-Sirrine.

Felsie's contributions to Greenville extend beyond the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood. She continually advocated for affordable housing, community development, and the preservation of Greenville's historic residential neighborhoods. She was also very engaged with the other Neighborhood Associations throughout the city. Felsie was highly regarded by her neighborhood association peers for her community commitment and friendship. In 2023, the City of Grenville honored Felsie for her community service by dedicating a street in her name within the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood.

Earlier this year, in honor of Black History Month, the Greenville Journal published a series of articles highlighting the impact of individuals and organizations in the Upstate's Black community. In the second of this series of articles, the Journal's cover story recognized Felsie, and her contributions to our community. In the article, Felsie was quoted that as president of the Haynie-Sirrine Neighborhood Association, "I have been given a great chance to do something good in my community". Good indeed! Thank you Felsie for your inspirational leadership and commitment to Haynie-Sirrine. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Note: The Haynie-Sirrine Neighborhood Association will provide information about memorial services when that is provided by the family.