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Cayla Harris

Cayla

Cayla Harris is the obituary writer for The Baltimore Banner. Before coming to Baltimore, she spent four years in Austin, Texas covering state politics for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. She also previously covered New York politics for the Albany Times Union. Cayla is a New Jersey native and a graduate of the George Washington University, where she studied journalism and Spanish.

The latest from Cayla Harris

Kamau Campbell.
Kamau Campbell, teen shot near Lansdowne High, ‘would make a rainy day seem sunny’
Kamau Campbell, the 16-year-old shot near Lansdowne High School last month, is remembered as a fun-loving son and brother who stood up for what was right.
Gertrude Hodges.
Gertrude Hodges, first Black graduate of Johns Hopkins nursing school, was a trusted leader
Gertrude “Trudy” Hodges, the first Black graduate of Johns Hopkins Hospital Training School for Nurses, died March 28 of stroke complications. She was 88.
James Arthur “Jim” Earl working on the hodoscope detector.
Annapolis philanthropist was an accomplished physicist who adored the arts
James Earl, a physicist and philanthropist who made Annapolis his home in retirement, died March 23 of respiratory failure. He was 92.
George L. Russell as a member of the Baltimore City Supreme Bench.
George Russell Jr., pioneering lawyer who broke racial barriers in Maryland, dies at 96
George Levi Russell, Jr., the first African American to sit on the Circuit Court in Maryland, died Saturday, friends and family said. He was 96.
Vicki Brick-Zupancic.
Vicki Brick-Zupancic, CEO of Brick Bodies Fitness, was a natural athlete who never quit
Vicki Brick-Zupancic, CEO of Brick Bodies Fitness Services chain and a former University of Maryland basketball player, died Tuesday morning of ovarian cancer. She was 43.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - September 08: Herbert “Herb” Belgrad, center, is presented with an honorary jersey before a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, September 8, 2024.
Herb Belgrad, lawyer and first chairman of Maryland Stadium Authority, dies at 90
Herb Belgrad, the inaugural chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority who oversaw the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, died Sunday. He was 90.
Carlton “Big Bub” Carrington.
Carlton ‘Big Bub’ Carrington: The Baltimore basketball coach who helped people battling addiction
Carlton “Big Bub” Carrington, a staple of Baltimore’s basketball community who also worked in behavioral health services, died March 20 of cancer. He was 53.
Matthew Anacker.
Matthew Anacker was a generous arborist who helped set standards across Maryland
Matthew Anacker, the owner of A&A Tree Experts in Baltimore County, died March 14 after going into cardiac arrest. He was 79.
Lt. Raymond Vargas Jr. stands in front of an American flag
Baltimore County Fire Lt. Raymond Vargas showed courage and selflessness when others couldn’t
Lt. Raymond Vargas, who spent nearly 12 years with the Baltimore County Fire Department, died March 27 from complications related to leukemia. He was 42.
Kim Domanski.
‘Cool aunt’ Kim Domanski helped organize Artscape, boost Baltimore’s art community
Kim Domanski, a staple of the Baltimore arts community who worked for the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts and later at The Peale museum, died March 7 of a heart attack. She was 52.
Frank Cicero.
The legacy of love, concert posters and Italian cooking left by Frank Cicero
Frank Cicero, who designed hundreds of eye-catching posters advertising concerts, carnivals, political campaigns and other events during his time at Globe, died March 7 of heart disease.
Myra Harris.
Myra Harris, one of Towson University’s first Black graduates, was passionate about education
Myra Harris, the namesake of a Towson residence hall who had an illustrious career in Baltimore schools, died Feb. 1 after a brief illness. She was 87.
Frederica Kolker Saxon.
Freddie Saxon, Baltimore County trailblazer, made her community a better place
Frederica “Freddie” Saxon, a dedicated community volunteer who also worked in construction management, died March 7 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91.
Robert Plummer.
Robert Plummer, revered Woodlawn High School baseball coach, helped boys become men
Plummer, the longtime coach of Woodlawn High School's baseball team, died March 4 of heart failure. He was 73.
Dr. Lillian Blackmon Crenshaw.
Dr. Lillian Blackmon Crenshaw helped improve care for babies born prematurely
Dr. Lillian Blackmon Crenshaw, who spent 25 years caring for babies at the University of Maryland, died Feb. 25 of Lewy body dementia. She was 87.
Fleur Le Faivre.
Fleur Le Faivre was a free spirit who wanted better for Baltimore’s unhoused community
Fleur Le Faivre, a lifelong Baltimorean who spread joy wherever she went, died in early January. She was 51.
Kevin Braswell
Kevin Braswell, whose basketball career started at Lake Clifton, was a star at home and abroad
Kevin Braswell, a standout basketball player who got his start at Lake Clifton High School and coached internationally, died Monday. He was 46.
Phebe McPherson.
Phebe McPherson, first woman ordained an Episcopal priest in Maryland, always led with love
The Rev. Dr. Phebe McPherson, the first woman ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in Maryland, died Feb. 6 of complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 74.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 31: An airplane takes off from Reagan National Airport as Roberto Marquez from Dallas, Texas, puts up crosses as part of a memorial for the victims of the midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter earlier this week in the Potomac River, January 31, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Flights have resumed in and out of Reagan National Airport after an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to the airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people onboard both aircraft.
Ice skaters, company executives, hunters. These are the Marylanders we know died in the DC plane crash.
The number of Marylanders confirmed dead in an aviation crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that shook the nation this week continues to rise.
Dietrich Williams.
Dietrich Williams, beloved Mervo basketball coach, took pride in mentoring youth
Dietrich Williams, who had worked at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School since 2010, died Jan. 17 of a heart attack. He was 54.
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