About 150 people gathered Wednesday evening in front of Nia Soul Food restaurant on Fillmore Street to commemorate Pia Harris.
The entrepreneur and community advocate died Tuesday due to complications from surgery, just weeks after opening the restaurant. She was 46.
Friends, family, and Fillmore community members who attended the vigil described her indefatigable work ethic and generosity.
Harris’ mother, Adrian Williams, used a megaphone to talk about her daughter. While she spoke, attendees silently passed out purple and yellow balloons.
“My baby was loved,” Williams told The Standard, gesturing to the crowd, where people embraced, shared stories, and cried. “You just have to turn around and look.”
Shauna Hardeman and LaTanya Jamerson met Harris in junior high school and have been inseparable ever since. The three grew up in the Western Addition neighborhood. The friends had planned to visit the restaurant Tuesday to see Harris, Hardeman said through tears, but saw news of her death on Facebook.
“She was selfless,” Jamerson said. “She always helped other people and never looked for anything in return.”
Williams, who is in her 70s, has been a towering figure in the Fillmore for decades, organizing events and advocating for businesses. She remains active in the community and organizes an annual dance called A Senior Moment.
Williams, who has never run a restaurant, said she will step up and ensure that Nia Soul Food thrives. It was just the latest in a series of initiatives by Harris, who was also chief economic development officer at the San Francisco Housing and Development Corporation.
“She was always doing something,” Williams said, laughing. “It used to irritate the hell out of me.”
Rico Hamilton, who worked with Harris on the board of the Fillmore Neighborhood Collaborative, said she was tireless.
“She was always about developing,” he said. “We haven’t seen this type of energy in years.”
Hamilton added that Harris was a great chef.
During a prayer led by a pastor, attendees put their hands on one another’s shoulders and bowed their heads. Mayor London Breed then took the megaphone and praised Harris’ kindness.
“If you had a problem with Pia, something was wrong with you,” Breed said, prompting laughter. “We want to thank her for the businesses she helped open on Fillmore. At times like this, words are just inadequate.”
Breed ended her short speech with an appeal for the community to rally around Harris’ mother. Afterward, talking to The Standard, she described Harris’ success in organizing the city’s Juneteenth celebration and her ability to work with anybody.
“Even the most difficult personalities could not withstand the sweetness of Ms. Pia,” Breed said.
Then, the crowd released the balloons. Amid cries of “We love you, Pia!,” they drifted into the night sky.