Margaret (“Peggy”) Isabel Nes, of Taos, NM, peacefully made the transition in the presence of her beloved husband and friends on April 15, 2026. Born in Paris, France, in 1950, she was the daughter of Elizabeth and David Nes. Peggy is survived by her husband, Robert Alderisio (“Bob Aldo”); her three sisters, Victoria Kirby, Nancy Knowlton, and Wendy Del Terzo; her brother-in-law, Ben Kuykendall, husband of her late sister Audrey; her two nephews, Nicholas Knowlton and David Del Terzo; and many dear friends.

The daughter of a career Foreign Service Officer and diplomat, Peggy grew up in France, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, and Vietnam—places she credited for her deep appreciation of color and architecture, which went on to inform her beautiful pastel paintings. A self-taught artist, her award-winning work was exhibited and sold in multiple galleries and in juried and invitational shows around the world. As the New Mexico Artist Directory aptly describes her work, Peggy’s “palette ranges from the richest and most luminous of hues to the most subtle and delicate of shades. Her work invokes a sense of beauty, mystery and wonder that is very much her own.”

Peggy described her love of art this way:

“Art has always been a journey of mystery and wonder for me. Making art is my way to be in this world—a way to explore the physical world and my own internal world, to find where these meet in the universality of existence. It is part of my whole life. I cannot imagine not doing it.”

Peggy had a deep and abiding love for New Mexico, particularly La Lama, where her journey first brought her at age 18. One summer, while tending bar in Red River, she lived in a tent in the mountains—until a bear’s visit convinced her to seek more traditional lodgings. Over the next few years, with the help of family and friends, she and Bob built their two-story log home at Lama. For the next 30 years, many beautiful paintings and songs were created there—in a home that was a center of art, beauty, and creativity, as well as joyful gatherings of family, friends, and loved ones.

Peggy’s passion for beauty could be seen in her gardening and in her gift for creating extraordinary crafts of all kinds for family and friends. Her love of learning, teaching, and caring formed the basis of her work as a tutor at the San Felipe Ranch for children and youth in San Cristobal. Always there for a friend in need, Peggy lived her conviction that we should joyfully give back more than we receive.

Peggy’s love of creating extended to music and writing songs, which she sang and accompanied on various instruments. She was one of the founders of the Taos Threshold Choir, and the songs she wrote for Threshold have been sung around the world.

In 1996, when the Hondo Fire destroyed their beloved home, she and Bob moved to Taos. They later had a lovely casita built on their Lama land, where they continued to enjoy many nights under the stars.

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Margaret Isabel Nes

Peggy’s great creative force and her deep capacity for love brought joy to many. She will be deeply missed.

A service will be held at Rivera Family Funeral at 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 25, with burial to follow at La Lama Cemetery.

A celebration of life gathering will be announced at a later date.

Donations in her honor may be made to the Thrive Through Art Campaign at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos.