Jack Leon Harmsen

Jack Leon Harmsen passed away peacefully on June 4, 2026, at the age of 75, surrounded by his family.

Jack was born in the small farming community of Harlan, Iowa where his family tended to 150 acres of farmland. He attended Harlan High School where he was the first student to ride a motorcycle to High School. Following graduation, he was drafted and proudly served in the United States Army for 2 years as a mechanic, working on army tanks, and was awarded a trophy as the best mechanic.

Following his service to our country, Jack moved to Arizona, where he met the love of his life Sandy, in a Thrifty Ice Cream store. He needed a button sewn on his pants and in the check-out line, asked Sandy if she would sew it on for him. Little did she know that he had visited Thrifty previously and had noticed her. Well, one thing led to another, and they have been married for almost 50 years, settling down in Mesa, Arizona. Shortly thereafter, they gave birth to a beautiful girl, Tawna, which quickly became the twinkle in Jack’s eye, and Tawna soon became a Daddy’s girl.

Using his mechanical skills, Jack worked in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning repair field for many years. He had a love of Harley motorcycles and vintage trucks. He enjoyed his 1954 Chevy pick-up truck, and especially his 1982 Harley “Knucklehead” Motorcycle. Jack was a very talented artist, played guitar, and was his own “MacGyver”, where he could fix almost anything with whatever he had laying around.

Of all his accomplishments, Jack was most proud of his family and friends. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Jack is survived by his beloved wife, Sandy; his daughter,

Tawna Edgmon, his grandchildren Bailey and Allie, along with his three sisters, Carol Lunning of Illinois, Colleen Khouri of California and Linda Boyson of Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Edith Harmsen, and brother Bob Harmsen. Jack will be deeply missed, and we will remember him in our hearts forever.