Serena Chiemi Harrison

Serena Chiemi Harrison, age 54, of Centerville, OH passed away on January 17, 2024, at the Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. Serena was born on September 11, 1969, in Honolulu, HI, and was the daughter of Terao and Naomi (Foster) Nakamura. Serena graduated from Hawaii Baptist Academy (HBA) in Honolulu and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Oklahoma Baptist University. She then returned to Honolulu to teach at HBA. Serena was very active as an actress in community theater in Honolulu, appearing in several productions. She later attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master's degree in Religious Education and served as a church Youth Director in Hampton, Virginia. On June 23, 2001 in Hampton, Serena married the love of her life, Shawn. His career in the United States Air Force led them to Nevada, Washington D.C., California, and Texas and eventually took the couple to Centerville, OH where they made their home and raised their two beautiful children, Haley and Gregory.

Life was good in Centerville and Serena enjoyed being a substitute teacher at Centerville High School. When she wasn't teaching school, Serena worked part-time as a sales associate for Pandora at The Greene. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Kettering where she was involved in many Bible studies. She enjoyed making crafts of all kinds and loved working out at her local Orange Theory fitness center. She also had a hobby of being a "thrift-flipper" where she would find bargains at the Thrift Store or bin store, fix whatever was broken or needed mending with the item and then resell locally. She also loved attending plays and musicals and spending time with her friends. She was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and during their assignment in Texas arranged for the family to attend a game in person. More than anything in the world, Serena loved being with her family, cooking her favorite Japanese and Hawaiian dishes and playing cards and board games, especially Monopoly and Skip-Bo, at which she excelled. She also took great pleasure in planning exciting family trips, including Disney, NYC, and Chicago with their trip in 2022 to Paris, Rome, and Venice being her most memorable adventure. Serena was passionately dedicated to her kid's endeavors, including competitive dance, competitive swimming, and band activities which included her being a Dance Mom "road warrior," member of the Centerville Jazz Band Booster Club, and a parent volunteer for the WTRC Sharks. Serena was their biggest supporter and fan. Serena also loved her pet cats, Ethan, Phineas and Ferb, and Gingham and Dante. Serena will be deeply and sadly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Serena leaves behind her loving husband, Shawn of Centerville; daughter, Haley Leilani Harrison of Centerville; and son, Gregory Kekoa Harrison of Centerville; mother, Naomi Nakamura of Norman, OK; and father and mother-in-law, Richard "Dick" and Sheila Harrison of Brunswick, ME. Serena was preceded in death by her father, Terao "Tommy" Nakamura.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Kettering, 3939 Swigart Road, Kettering OH. A memorial celebrating Serena's life will immediately follow at 1:00 pm with Pastor Chad Keck officiating. After the memorial, a meal will be provided at the church.

To share a memory of Serena or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.