Peggy and John Harnisch

Peggy Harnisch

Margretta (Peggy) Stewart Potter Harnisch, 83, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 in Melbourne, Florida.

Peggy was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1941 to parents Lt. Col. Robert Potter and Helen (Chapman) Potter. She married John Martin Harnisch in Colorado Springs in 1966.

Peggy’s years as an Army brat included evacuating Korea in 1950, learning to ski in the Alps, and attending high school in Salzburg, Austria and Villars Sur Ollon, Switzerland. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1962 and later completed a post-degree program at Trinity College, Washington, D.C.

In her early career days, Peggy worked for Global Travel and Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), leading to an epic round-the-world trip in the 1960s. Upon committing to the U.S. military as a spouse, Peggy channeled her skills and attention into John’s career, enduring combat service (twice) and moving the family to new duty stations, including Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Giessen, Germany; Washington, D.C. (twice); Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey; Aschaffenburg, Germany; Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fort Clayton, Republic of Panama; and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. At their last duty station, Peggy served as Director of Religious Education for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Huntsville, Alabama. And finally, after John’s retirement from the Army in 1994, she moved home to the American Southwest.

Passionate about music, Peggy was an excellent piano player and singer, participating in many choral groups throughout her life. She loved traveling, skiing, the outdoors, and “moving her body through space,” which she did often and with grace, a spring in her step and a sparkle in her eye. Her laugh was joyful and contagious.

She was deeply connected to Santa Fe, where her roots began with grandparents Kenneth M. Chapman and Kate Mueller Chapman, inspiring her frequent visits to the Santa Fe museums and various festivals and volunteerism as a docent with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Both she and John were also long-time volunteers for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill-Santa Fe, and strong community advocates for access to care.

John Harnisch

U.S. Army Col. John Martin Harnisch (Ret.), 83, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in Malabar, Florida.

John was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1942 to parents Lt. Col. Martin A. Harnisch and Margaret (Gorton) Harnisch Eimer and grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois. He married Margretta (Peggy) Potter Harnisch in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1966.

John graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1964 and earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1972. His Army career spanned 30 years, with his last post as chief of staff of the Army Space and Strategic Defense Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Other posts included project manager of the Joint Ground Launch Tacit Rainbow Cruise Missile System at Redstone Arsenal, director of the Army Tropic Test Center in the Republic of Panama and deputy chief of staff of the Army for Research, Development and Acquisition in the Pentagon. He served two combat tours in Vietnam. Other duty stations included Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Giessen, Germany; Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey; Aschaffenburg, Germany; and the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

John earned numerous commendations during his military career, including Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters and V device for combat heroism, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Commendation Medal.

After his military service, John earned a master’s degree in education from the College of Santa Fe and worked as a high school teacher and administrator with Santa Fe Public Schools.

He was a train enthusiast of the highest degree, maintaining his model trains from childhood, collecting more, and building sophisticated environments to share them with others, particularly his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He volunteered at the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, helping with the model train display. John also loved reading, woodworking, dancing, singing, and playing the piano; he participated in various performances and choral groups during his life.

John and Peggy are survived by daughters Theresa (Harnisch) Grimison (Indian Harbour Beach, Florida), Helen Harnisch (Oakley, California) and Marie (Molly) Winter-Harnisch (Santa Fe). They are also survived by son-in-law Matt Grimison (Indian Harbour Beach), daughter-in-law Kristie Moritz-Hawthorne Harnisch (San Antonio, Texas), son-in-law Rusty Hillard (Concord, California) and grandchildren John (Jack) Grimison (Indian Harbour Beach), William Grimison (Indian Harbour Beach), Grayson Harnisch (San Antonio), Madeleine Harnisch (San Antonio) and Michal Harnisch (South Bend, Indiana). They were preceded in death by son U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Michael (Marty) Chapman Harnisch, M.D. and daughter-in-law Stephanie (Steff) Winter-Harnisch.

A joint memorial for Peggy and John Harnisch is planned for Nov. 6, 2026 in Santa Fe.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the endowed Chapman-Potter Gorton-Harnisch Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, which will forever support critical needs and arts and culture in the community.

Condolences and memories for the family may be expressed online at www.davisseawinds.com.

The Davis Seawinds Funeral Home in Melbourne, FL is entrusted with local arrangements.