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Amy Appleby-Harris, 58, was recovering from surgery in their Salisbury home on Saturday, Feb. 17 when a fire broke out in the second-floor master bedroom in the 26000 block of Quantico Creek Road.
Her longtime husband was able to make it out safely, but Appleby-Harris died at an area hospital after being found inside by first responders and rushed to TidalHealth in Salisbury.
The cause of the blaze was determined to be from smoking, according to the Maryland Fire Marshal.
Following her death, the community is rallying around the Harris family, raising more than $15,000 in just three days.
"Our mom, who loved her three cats Tucker, Jake, and Boo Boo almost as much as she loved her children and grandchildren, went in search of them," Mallory Oberts wrote.
"She was rescued by firefighters in dire condition and later succumbed to her injuries," she continued. "We are shocked, heartbroken, and struggling to make sense of it all."
The family says that Appleby-Harris' husband of 23 years is now "grieving the loss of his wife, (and) coming to terms with the devastation of their home and the loss of all their possessions, including their three cats."
According to her obituary, Appleby-Harris "gave of herself caring for her Downs Syndrome sister Gayle throughout her childhood, later caring for her children as a loving mother, and most recently her husband Kevin.
"She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother always putting others first."
Services for Appleby-Harris have been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. at Bounds Funeral Home on East Main Street in Salisbury.
Those interested in donating to the family can do so here.
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