Margaret Harrington Harper, 90, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Mar. 26, 2026, at Meadow Ridge in Redding, where she was cared for lovingly.
Daughter of Alice Nicoll Taube and Count Arvid Eaton Taube, she was born July 9, 1935, in New York City. Growing up, she lived in Bedford, NY, and in Katonah, NY, on the John Jay Homestead.
She was proud of her Swedish heritage through her father, Count Taube, and also traced her lineage through her maternal grandmother’s line to the artist Joseph Oriel Eaton and the founding fathers, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
She graduated from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT, (1953) and attended Eliot-Pearson College at Tufts University, where she majored in early childhood education.
With money gifted by her step-grandfather, she boarded the RMS Queen Elizabeth I bound for Europe in the summer of 1955. Ever adventurous, Margee snuck into the First Class theater for the movie and sat directly behind Louise Harrington, who, with her son George, was on her way to Europe to visit her son, Thomas Harrington, who was serving in the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Germany. As fate would have it, Louise turned around and took a liking to Margee and decided to introduce her to her son, Tom. After disembarking the Queen Elizabeth in Europe, and with Louise’s encouragement, Margee met Tom, and they “walked all over Paris,” falling in love.
Upon his discharge and return to the States, Tom and Margee courted and then married in 1957. Margee taught at an elementary school in Milford, CT, before starting her family and moving to Westport. After that, she settled in Wilton, where she lived for 25 years.
Together, Margee and Tom raised four children — Louisa, Thomas Jr., Jonathan and Deborah — in a household filled with love and joy, including the following “pets” — three burros, six dogs, three cats, countless guinea pigs, a rabbit or two, fish and several parakeets. While raising her children, she founded and ran a successful catering service, Granny Flash, with a good friend, Bess Smith.
While both went on to have other partners, Margee and Tom stayed in close touch and remained friends throughout their lives. Margee met and married John Franklin Harper in 1987, and they had a loving relationship for 34 years, living in Princeton, NJ.
With her children grown, Margee’s professional life took off in the late 1970s and 1980s. She led fundraising for Miss Porter’s School for several years across many campaigns, raising millions of dollars. Then she joined John F. Harper Inc., where she and John worked tirelessly for 20 years, managing campaigns and raising funds for independent schools and non-profit institutions across the country. Margaret’s achievements in fundraising earned her the national Robert Bell Crow award, which recognizes school advancement professionals for their distinguished service to the profession and to the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Even in “retirement,” Margee continued to support social causes and fundraise for institutions including HomeFront New Jersey, D&R Greenway, the YWCA and many others.
Everyone who met Margee remembers her warm smile and genuine kindness. She was a “force of nature” too; she kept a plaque that said, “Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way!” She knew how to get things done and had the courage to try. She was great fun and always up for an adventure, skiing, playing tennis and traveling throughout her life.
Above all, she was motivated by love. She touched the lives of many with her compassion, joy, infectious laugh and dedication to helping others. Her gift of unconditional love made everyone around her feel seen and valued, and will continue to inspire all who knew her.
Margaret is survived by her two daughters, Louisa O’Neill and Deborah Conoscente; her son, Thomas Harrington Jr., and daughter-in-law, Carol Rose; six grandchildren: Eric O’Neill, Noah Harrington, Adam Harrington, Lilian Harrington, Bridget Conoscente and Cameron Conoscente; her many nieces and nephews and their children with whom she remained close throughout her life; and her wide community of loving friends.
She is predeceased by her brother, Carl Arvid Taube; sister, Karin de Baun; her mother and father; her husband, Tom Harrington; her second husband, John Harper; and her son, Jonathan.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Meadow Ridge (100 Redding Rd., Redding). To attend, RSVP to Louisa O’Neill via email.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts in remembrance of Margaret Harper be made to D&R Greenway Trust (click on the ‘Dedicate my Donation’ link and type in ‘In memory of Margaret Harper’) and HomeFront New Jersey (scroll down and click the selection ‘I would like to dedicate this gift’ and designate the gift ‘In memory of Margaret Harper’).
