Catherine Harris Dittman

May 11, 1925 - January 01, 2013

Catherine Harris Dittman Obituary (Age 87) Catherine died in Spokane, Washington on January 1, 2013. She was born May 11, 1925 in Catawba, North Carolina. Her father was William Henry Harris; her mother was Katie Coulter Harris. Catherine attended school in Catawba and graduated in 1942 from Catawba High School. She entered Women's College in Greensboro, NC and graduated with a B.A. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina in 1946. She was a Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred. After working briefly as a chemist, she established the Bacteriology Department at the Gunderson Clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin under the mentorship of her brother H.W. Harris, M.D. Catherine met William Dittman while working at the Gunderson Clinic and they were married December 19, 1950 in La Crosse. They moved to Madison, WI where Bill finished medical school at the University of Wisconsin and Catherine established the Microbiology lab at the Veteran's Hospital at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. She continued her work in Microbiology until her sons William Jr. and John were born in Salt Lake City, Utah. The family moved to Spokane, WA in 1959 where her son Andrew was born. She devoted herself to guiding her family and her children, but also worked in the Genetics Laboratory at Sacred Heart Hospital. She will be deeply missed. Catherine is survived by her loving husband, William, her sons Dr. William Dittman Jr. (Eileen), John Dittman (Mary), and Andrew Dittman (Stephanie). She is also survived by her grandchildren Andrea Dittman Young, Katie Dittman, Delaney Dittman, Will Dittman, Adrienne Dittman, and Coulter Dittman. She was preceded in death by her father (1929), mother (1984), brother, H.W. Harris M.D. (2011), and her sister Mary Brown (2008). Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday, January 4th at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, 4102 S. Crestline, Spokane, Washington. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.