Margaret "Peggy"
Rees
Harris
November 23, 1936 - February 15, 2023
Born in New York City, New York
Resided in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Margaret “Peggy” R. Harris, 86, wife of A. Brooks Harris of Newtown Square, died on February 15, 2023 at the Dunwoody Village Care Center.
Peggy was an only child born on November 23nd, 1936, at Flowers-Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City to the late Bertha and William Rees. While Peggy graduated from Radcliffe College in 1958 with a major in Geology, her true passion was art: she spent as much time taking art courses as possible. Her grades and advanced compositions were better than many Art majors. In her senior year, it was discovered that she needed another half year of science to graduate as a Geology major and as it happened only Physics 1 could be so split- so Physics it was. At Christmas break when her father was picking her up to take her home she was approached by her Physics “section man”, a young Harvard graduate student in Physics, who asked her for a date. As Peggy later tells it she looked in her Guide to Students and it didn’t address the issue of dating a section man. Nowadays the administration would cause problems for the section man, but in those bygone times, it worked out and they were married the summer after she graduated.
Although her love life was blissful, Peggy was unable to pursue an advanced degree in Geology due to the difficulties she faced in completing her field work prerequisite. It was hard for women to obtain field work opportunities in Geology back then due to the lack of separate locker/bathroom facilities.
While Peggy certainly loved painting, cooking, playing bridge, going to the Orchestra, tennis and book group, her greatest joy probably came from traveling the world and spending time with her family. She instilled a love of learning, a joyful curiosity, and a lust for travel in her three children, Kathy, W. Brooks, and Tom.
In addition to her husband of more than 60 years, A. Brooks Harris, Peggy is survived by her daughter Katherine Sturrock and her husband Charles of North Falmouth, MA, her son W. Brooks Harris and his wife Sandra of Greenwich, CT, her son Thomas Harris of Morton, PA, her granddaughter Allison Classen and her husband Benjamin of Exton, PA, her granddaughter Alexis Harris of New York, NY her granddaughter Elizabeth Harris of Philadelphia, PA, her granddaughter Aerin Harris of Greenwich, CT, her grandson C. Brooks Harris of Greenwich, CT, her granddaughter Millie Harris of Troy, New York, her grandson Andrew Harris of Barrington, RI, and by 2 great-grandsons, James Classen and Watson Classen, both of Exton, PA. Terrance, their beloved turtle of 40+ years, predeceased her.
A private memorial service will be held at Radnor Friends Meeting, where she was a long time, active “Friend”.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Peggy’s name to World Wildlife Fund, wwf.org.
Peggy was an only child born on November 23nd, 1936, at Flowers-Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City to the late Bertha and William Rees. While Peggy graduated from Radcliffe College in 1958 with a major in Geology, her true passion was art: she spent as much time taking art courses as possible. Her grades and advanced compositions were better than many Art majors. In her senior year, it was discovered that she needed another half year of science to graduate as a Geology major and as it happened only Physics 1 could be so split- so Physics it was. At Christmas break when her father was picking her up to take her home she was approached by her Physics “section man”, a young Harvard graduate student in Physics, who asked her for a date. As Peggy later tells it she looked in her Guide to Students and it didn’t address the issue of dating a section man. Nowadays the administration would cause problems for the section man, but in those bygone times, it worked out and they were married the summer after she graduated.
Although her love life was blissful, Peggy was unable to pursue an advanced degree in Geology due to the difficulties she faced in completing her field work prerequisite. It was hard for women to obtain field work opportunities in Geology back then due to the lack of separate locker/bathroom facilities.
While Peggy certainly loved painting, cooking, playing bridge, going to the Orchestra, tennis and book group, her greatest joy probably came from traveling the world and spending time with her family. She instilled a love of learning, a joyful curiosity, and a lust for travel in her three children, Kathy, W. Brooks, and Tom.
In addition to her husband of more than 60 years, A. Brooks Harris, Peggy is survived by her daughter Katherine Sturrock and her husband Charles of North Falmouth, MA, her son W. Brooks Harris and his wife Sandra of Greenwich, CT, her son Thomas Harris of Morton, PA, her granddaughter Allison Classen and her husband Benjamin of Exton, PA, her granddaughter Alexis Harris of New York, NY her granddaughter Elizabeth Harris of Philadelphia, PA, her granddaughter Aerin Harris of Greenwich, CT, her grandson C. Brooks Harris of Greenwich, CT, her granddaughter Millie Harris of Troy, New York, her grandson Andrew Harris of Barrington, RI, and by 2 great-grandsons, James Classen and Watson Classen, both of Exton, PA. Terrance, their beloved turtle of 40+ years, predeceased her.
A private memorial service will be held at Radnor Friends Meeting, where she was a long time, active “Friend”.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Peggy’s name to World Wildlife Fund, wwf.org.
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Funeral Home
Upper Darby
8425 West Chester Pike
Upper Darby, PA US 19082
Upper Darby, PA US 19082
