Elise Pryor-Harden

Elise Hermine Pryor-Harden, 64 years old, passed on into the Great Love at home surrounded by her family in Fort Worth, Texas on April 5, 2026.

She was born in Arcata, California, on October 27, 1961, to Lewis Alfred Pryor and Wilhelmine Elise Wolpert Pryor. She graduated from Arcata High School in 1979, attended Eastern Washington University and San Francisco State University, where she achieved a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts Performance in 1985.

She continued her acting training at the London Shakespeare Studio in 1990, earning a glowing recommendation for further professional work from her teachers. They said of Elise: “This is a young lady who has fibre and strength of character…Being very demanding of herself, she is also very demanding of others, particularly where the maintaining of high standards is concerned, which is tantamount to saying that she is a born professional.”

Elise was an accomplished pianist, singer, writer, director, and actress. A signature song of hers was “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” As an actress, she performed many leading roles including Eliza in “My Fair Lady,” Marian in “The Music Man,” Tracy Lord in “Philadelphia Story,” and Dr. Vivian Bearing in “W;t”. She graced the stages of San Francisco, New York City, and Abilene, Texas.

She thrived in San Francisco, having many beloved friends and working in the local theatre scene. She met Leland Boyd Harden in 1991, and they soon married on January 18, 1992.

She was passionate about rose gardening, quilting, baking, watching British TV shows, and loved all animals–especially elephants.

Elise is preceded in death by her father and mother, Lewis and Whilhelmine. She is survived by her husband, Leland; children, Verity and Nathanael; brother, Bill; sister-in-law, Susan; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial Service: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Broadway Baptist Church, 305 W Broadway Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Elise to Wildlife SOS ( https://wildlifesos.org/ ), Broadway Baptist Church Music Ministry, or a local non-profit community theatre in your area.