LaVonne (Bentz) Harrison

LaVonne (Bentz) Harrison, a longtime resident of Napa, CA passed away the evening of April 15, 2025, at the age of 94. LaVonne was an artist, craftswoman, adventurer, storyteller, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and avid reader. She was loved and admired by all who came to know her. Her intelligence, wit and life stories will be sorely missed.

LaVonne was born January 8, 1931 in Chico, CA to Daniel Bentz and Ruth (Debock) Bentz, in the midst of the great depression. Her youth was spent in the small town of Pinole, CA. When the USA became involved in World War II, her father joined the Navy, and her mother put LaVonne in a catholic girl’s boarding school in Sacramento.

LaVonne’s teen years saw her back home in Pinole where she attended Richmond High School. She graduated from Richmond High in January 1948, and left home directly after graduation.

Shortly thereafter, LaVonne met George Harrison of Breman, GA while he was on leave from the US Navy, before deployment to Korea. They married in June 1949. From 1951 through 1957, LaVonne bore and raised five children, living primarily in the little town of Rodeo, CA and a brief time in Georgia. LaVonne and George divorced in September 1963 and LaVonne moved her brood of kids from a brief attempt at home ownership in Vallejo to Crockett.

LaVonne worked for years at the Crocket telephone company as a switchboard operator and later for Contra Costa County as an Eligibility Worker. After surviving the teenage years of 5 kids, LaVonne retired from Contra Costa County around 1983 and moved to Napa. Her retirement years were busy with her artwork, spending time with grandkids, and volunteer work. Her later retirement years were spent on cruise adventures to Alaska, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, culminating in a trip to Austraila where she spent a month at age 80 touring Australia, meeting up with pen pals & adventures in Indonesia.

LaVonne is preceded in death by her daughter Georgiana Harrison of Napa, son Daniel Harrison of Oakland, and sister Marline Heath of Grass Valley.

LaVonne is survived by her 3 remaining children: Jeannette Harrison of Sonoma, Jayna Harrison and spouse Carol Corbridge of Montana, and Douglass Harrison of Napa. 5 grandchildren and their spouses: Noelle Harrison/Chris Huff of Chicago, Tracey (Harrison) & Troy Boynton of Sonoma, Danielle Harrison Pizzi/John Wenz of Milwaukee, Andrew Harrison of Napa, and Dominique Harrison Pizzi/Justin Westphal of Petaluma. 3 great grandsons: Julian and Theo Boynton, and Leo Westphal. She is also survived by former daughter and son-in-law Suzanne Harrison of Napa and Robert Pizzi of Oakland, half-sister Danette Bentz of Auburn, half-brother Daniel (Dick) Bentz of Nevada, half-brother Roy Gregg of San Leandro, and many cousins, nieces and nephews in Northern California towns—Chico, Fortuna, Sacramento.

LaVonne’s ashes will be spread in the Rose Garden of Tulocay Cemetery in Napa. A memorial and celebration of her life is planned for September 2025. To keep abreast of details, please email jea.harrison2025@gmail.com with your contact info.

Listen for her spirit in the song of the wind chimes.

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