Michelle (“Chelly”) Harris, 51, of Ankeny, Iowa passed away at Mercy One Hospice House in Johnston, Iowa on Friday, December 17, 2021. We are thankful for the wonderful care Chelly received from the many kind-hearted nurses during her time at hospice, and she was surrounded by many loved ones when she passed away peacefully. She endured an intense battle with colon cancer. Chelly bravely fought with strength and determination, but unfortunately could not win despite how hard she tried.
Chelly, the daughter of Dorothy and David Harris, was born on August 27, 1970 in Des Moines, Iowa. She grew up in Des Moines and graduated from Hoover High School. Chelly attended the University of Iowa before earning her degree in accounting from Grandview University. Survivors include her parents; daughters Ashlynn Pecinovsky and Mallary Pecinovsky and their father Scott Pecinovsky; best friend Dennis Croghan; sister Christine Giblin (Steve); brother Jon Harris (Emily); numerous nieces and nephews; and her beloved Goldendoodle furbabies , Yogi and Grizzee. Waiting for her upon gaining her wings were her furbabies Koda and Daisy.
Chelly was an incredibly talented individual and grew up partaking in many activities including dance, gymnastics, and baton twirling, leading to her life-long love for dance and tumbling. Chelly was a very well-loved dance instructor at Betty Hill Dance Studios where she taught acrobatic/tumbling and partnering classes to children a variety of ages. Chelly also spent countless hours on the lake with her family and still had no problem showing up her older sister on a slalom ski well into her 40’s.
Chelly was known for her tremendous love for her Goldendoodle pups and her over-the-top holiday/seasonal decorations. She was also a huge fan of Mexican food and frozen margaritas. However, her biggest love was the love she had for her two daughters, Ashlynn and Mallary. Chelly was her daughters’ biggest cheerleader, supporting them in gymnastics and dance as they grew up, dance team and studies throughout college, and was incredibly proud of the strong, beautiful young women they have become. A love Chelly and her daughters all shared, was their love for singer, Celine Dion. The girls grew up listening to her, as Chelly played her music around the house, particularly her Christmas album. Luckily, they all were able to share a special experience together before her passing, when they saw Celine in concert. Over the last several years as her cancer took over, forcing her to spend a lot of time at home, she enjoyed taking her pups on walks around Ankeny, snuggling her pups in bed, decorating for every holiday/season, and being an avid Bachelor/Bachelorette fan.
Per her wishes, cremation rites have been accorded and a private family service will be held at a later date. A Celebration of Life will also be held later. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the Animal Rescue League ( http://www.arl-iowa.org/donate) or AHeinz57 Pet Rescue (https://aheinz57.networkforgood.com/projects/90176-giving-page) in her name to celebrate her love of animals. Memorials can also be directed to the family and will be made in her honor.
