Sheila Harris was the epitome of womanhood, her niece, Kameka Suton, said.
“She was classy, and she was very funny,” Sutton said. She was always put together, and you were never going to see her without her lipstick on. She was an amazing, amazing woman. We love her deeply.”
Sutton and her family are mourning the death of 75-year-old Sheila Harris, who died after driving her vehicle into a contaminated body of water near Buffington Harbor Saturday.
Sutton and her sister, Kynesha Golden, said their family wants to see better safety provisions in the Buffington Harbor area.
“Our main focus right now is to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families,” Golden said.
According to Post-Tribune archives, Harris called 911 and said her vehicle was sinking, but Gary police and other officers could not find her car at first. Responders had to suspend recovery efforts to bring in specialized equipment and resources to address environmental conditions.
Once the water was drained, recovery personnel found Harris inside the vehicle.
A Gary spokesperson confirmed that the area and roads in question, including Buffington Harbor Drive, are privately owned, and located on private property.
“Beyond confirming the private ownership of the property and roadways, the incident remains under active investigation, and the City cannot provide additional information on the specific circumstances,” the statement read.
In 2024, Indiana Sugars purchased 77 acres, including property once home to the Majestic Star Casino and Hotel, according to Post-Tribune archives. A company spokesperson did not return a request for comment by press time.
An Indiana Department of Environmental Management spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the area where the incident occurred was “not within Buffington Harbor itself, but a localized roadway area near the harbor entrance.”
“IDEM has not identified any industrial source causing water quality impacts to Buffington Harbor,” the statement said. “IDEM Emergency Response was notified of the incident in an advisory capacity. Due to odor concerns reported by first responders near Buffington Harbor, IDEM conducted pH sampling. The results were within the normal range, and no ammonia was detected, indicating the absence of sewage.”
Both Sutton and Golden said they don’t know why Harris was near Buffington Harbor. They believe she was trying to go to the Ameristar Casino in East Chicago but accidentally went to the abandoned Majestic Star Casino instead.
“She lived in a senior living building … and she would take people back and forth to the casino,” Golden said. “So, since she was in the car alone at that time, my thought was that she was completing the round trip and picking them up from Ameristar.”
Golden thinks Harris’ GPS might have mistakenly directed her to Majestic Star. Investigation into Harris’ death is still pending.
Because the Buffington Harbor area isn’t well lit, Golden said she thinks her aunt could’ve easily ended up in the wrong place. An underpass that provided access to the former casino property
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Sutton started a GoFundMe to pay for Harris’ funeral expenses. As of about 3 p.m. Thursday, she’d raised more than $3,400. Harris didn’t have life insurance, and she was on a fixed income, Sutton said.
Sutton told the Post-Tribune that the family has felt “a range of emotions” since learning about Harris’ death. She said she found out on Sunday, after her other aunt was notified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office as Harris’ next of kin.
Harris had one daughter, Barbette Bridgeman, who died in 2003, Sutton said. She has a grandson who lives in California as well.
“We’ve come together, and we’ve conversed with one another about processing through our feelings,” Sutton said. “This has been extremely tough.”
Sutton said Harris was “extremely loved” by their family. She always made them laugh and was known as the diva of the family, Sutton added.
“Her daughter was like my best cousin,” Sutton said. “We grew up like sisters. I remember when we were younger, and my aunt would come in and say, ‘Hey fans, the queen is here,’ and it would just tickle my soul.”
Sutton also said Harris was generous, and she donated a kidney to Bridgeman when she was sick and needed one.
“She didn’t do it just because that was her daughter,” Golden said. “That’s just the type of person she was.”
Golden said her aunt loved her family, and she was always excited when they got together.
“Whenever she came to a family event, we would be extremely happy to have her there,” Golden said of Harris. “She was the life of the party. She wasn’t wild, but she always had a great time.”