Patricia Mary Harkness (Pat to her friends and Patsy to her cousins) was a beloved and caring friend, and a bright light in the Peterborough community for over 50 years. She died September 9, 2026.

Born October 31, 1942, in Marlborough, MA, Pat was the only child of Robert A. Harkness and Adele (Dolly) Petkauskos. She grew up in Hudson, MA, and received her teaching degree from Worcester State Teachers College in 1964. After short stints teaching in Hudson, MA, and Royal Oak, MI, Pat took a job as teaching principal in Dublin, NH. But she missed having time to be creative with students, and in 1975 she returned to full-time teaching in Peterborough, where she remained until her retirement in 2000.

In many ways, teaching defined Pat - not merely because it was a vocation, but because of how passionately she cared for each and every one of her students, and how deeply she formed connections with their families - connections that extended into the community long after children left her classroom. Whether she was teaching fourth or first grade, Pat was always fully invested in her students. She loved sharing the outdoors with them, bringing them on field trips to the Harris Center, or looking for moose tracks around the school. There was never a shortage of stories to be shared or projects to be undertaken. She treated every young person with genuine interest and kindness. By the time she retired, Pat had taught someone in just about every family in Peterborough, and could not make a trip into town without running into someone she needed to stop and chat with!

The best teachers are driven by curiosity, and Pat was nothing if not relentlessly curious about people and the world around her. She followed that curiosity on many adventures far and near, and it kept her active throughout her retirement. Wherever she traveled, she always marveled at what she saw and learned. She had great admiration for artists and craftspeople, and would linger in shops and galleries to ask them about their work. No one could strike up a conversation and make a new friend like Pat!

While she delighted in adventure, Pat also treasured the simple comforts of her own place on this earth. For 43 years, she maintained a charming and comfortable home at the top of the hill on Vine Street, where she could walk just a few paces through the trees to the elementary school. She tended lovingly to her gardens, clearing away stray leaves and weeds so the flowers could look their best. She delighted in the simple pleasure of meals brought home from Twelve Pine or Roy’s Market to share with friends. And she found a particular pleasure in going to the Peterborough Recycling Center, where she could always find friends to chat with and treasures to rescue; she would bring them home, polish them up, and pass them on to new lives.

Above all, Pat treasured her friendships. Near and far, she kept in touch with all of us the old-fashioned way - her landline, because she refused to get involved with computers and cell phones! Over the years, there have been so many in the greater Peterborough community whom she has cared for and looked after in various ways. Caring was the mission of her life, lighting her up from the inside, even as she began to face her own decline.

A few years ago, Pat began having trouble with word retrieval and administrative tasks, and by late 2023 could no longer manage living on her own. She moved to RiverMead in March 2024, and into the Memory Care unit a few months later. Her decline over this past summer was rapid. But to the end, Pat never lost her sense of whimsy (perhaps the result of being a Halloween baby) or her wonder and marvel at new things. She was a special, caring person, and we shall all miss her greatly. We thank the staff at RiverMead for their devoted care of Pat these last few months.

Pat is survived by many Petkauskos cousins: Peter, David, Victor, Michael (all of whom she considered her brothers), and Rita; assorted cousins of her father’s in Pennsylvania; and the families of each; and her special “sisters” Patty Petkauskos and Elizabeth Estey. She is also survived by many dear friends who will miss her greatly. She is predeceased by Richard Hugh Lange (1942-2001), to whom she was married briefly. Pat’s ashes will be buried alongside her parents in Hudson in a family ceremony this fall.

If you wish to honor Pat, please consider making a gift to the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock.

There will be a gathering to share “Pat stories” on Friday, September 25, 3:00-5:30 pm, in the Eben Jones Classroom at the Peterborough Town Library.