Barbara Ann Harris

Barbara A. (Blaine) Harris passed away peacefully on Friday, July 25, 2023, at the age of 72. Barb was born on Tuesday, March 13, 1951, in Rockford IL where she lived and worked until she and her husband moved to Rio Rancho, NM in 2015. Barb worked at Hamilton Sundstrand Aerospace Corporation as an Analytical Chemist for over 35 years primarily in the area of failure analysis. One of her great thrills during her tenure was being invited by NASA to watch the final launch of Space Shuttle Discovery in 2011 from the VIP viewing area. She is survived by her husband of 43 and a half years Thomas M. Harris (Rio Rancho, NM), her daughter Megan Harris (Vancouver, BC), and her sister Mariann Hurst (Ft. Garland, CO). She will be dearly missed by her fellow in-laws and the numerous friends she made through the years in Rockford, Rio Rancho, and abroad. Since moving to Rio Rancho, Barb had been an active volunteer at the Roadrunner Food Bank, the Coronado Historic Site, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. She enjoyed volunteering and following in her daughter’s footsteps of learning about the archaeology of the region; she liked to say the tree didn’t fall far from the acorn.

Barb is remembered for her kindness, her heart, her laugh, and her ferocity with card games. No matter the game, be it liar’s poker or cribbage, she would gleefully beat you and then do her dorky victory dance. But even in victory, she was still gracious and kind. Her kindness is best remembered whenever she volunteered as she approached each new project with an open mind and genuine curiosity, bringing such a light and enthusiasm to everything.

A Memorial Service will be held at Daniels Family Funeral ~ Sara Chapel, 4310 Sara Road SE, Rio Rancho on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.