Harris Augustus Goodwin III

He is survived by his wife and companion of 32 years, Mary Ellen Merrigan, son Carl Keith Goodwin, daughter, Janie Elizabeth Hotchkiss (Chris), grandson Joseph Allan Hotchkiss, and cat Jasper, all of Albuquerque.

Harris served in the U.S. Air Force 22½ years, retiring as a Master Sergeant. His expertise included 14 years with the Air Force Weapons Laboratory compiling highly complex technical assessments of Air Force Weapons. His commitment to country extended well beyond those years of active duty; he was a patriotic, concerned citizen throughout his life.

He continued to nurture his passion for engineering long after retiring from the Air Force. He worked tirelessly on behalf of ham radio, connecting rural New Mexico through repeater installations, maintenance and upkeep. He set up a communications team of volunteers that he referred to as the Dream Team. Their work will continue.

Throughout his life, Harris lived rather than existed. He attacked his hobbies with unbridled enthusiasm. In both his skiing and boating activities, he could be counted on as the self-appointed social director with a “bota” bag of downhill racer or a blender of margaritas to share.

He was fascinated with ballooning from his first flight, then bought a balloon (Breezy) and became an instructor, before managing a balloon program for SunGroup Radio Stations. He later trained as a gas balloon pilot and acquired his own gas balloon. He was always ready to host international visitors, and often piloted press or other special guests. He volunteered for many years on behalf of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in various positions and headed the Communications Team for the AIBF Gas Race, America’s Challenge.

That same zest for life carried over to mentoring as Harris guided young STEM students and encouraged members of his extended family to pursue their interests. He worked for the US Air Force for the Civil Air Patrol of the state of New Mexico. He cherished his friends and would talk to anyone, anywhere, while genuinely interested in what they had to say.

Tributes from friends and family describe Harris as a kind and big-hearted man. He could walk into a room and start a party. He loved to talk and tell stories, often to the point of exhaustion. His loyalty to the Cowboys was shared with the Kansas City Chiefs and his extended family of Missouri.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Sunday, June 28, 2026, at Tramway Plaza. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Paws & Stripes of Albuquerque or Veterans Community Project, Kansas City, MO.