OBITUARY
George F. Harkin
12 May, 1938 – 18 June, 2018
IN THE CARE OF
Murphy Funeral Homes
George F. Harkin, 80, of Arlington, VA, passed away on June 18, 2018 with his wife, Charlene,
by his side.
George was born and raised in Queens, NY, the 4th of 5 children to parents George and Ellen.
George was a good student who took great pride in a handwriting award he won in grade
school. He was also an athlete, who for the rest of his life had three false teeth due to a
“misunderstanding” with a competitor at a track meet. After high school George went into the
seminary at Maryknoll in Ossining, NY, and then served as a missionary Catholic priest for
many years in Taiwan. While there he also worked with the local Hakka people to develop and
write one of the first English textbooks for the Hakka language. He eventually chose a new path
in life, leaving the priesthood to return to the United States. He went back to school, receiving a
Masters degree at the University of Hawaii, and through a number of jobs worked his way to
becoming an intelligence analyst for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and later the
National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), both agencies under the Department of Justice.
George met his wife, Charlene, through his sister, Maureen, and in turn introduced Maureen to
his friend and her future husband, Bill. George and Charlene had three children and also
provided a home to many foster children over the years. The family lived in VA, NY, Hong Kong,
and eventually settled in Arlington, VA.
George was very involved in the Church and the community as a youth basketball coach, a
scoutmaster, a parish usher, and for 17 years served as a volunteer contractor for the Diocese
of Arlington’s WorkCamp. While briefly living in Pennsylvania after retirement, he volunteered
with the prison ministry. George enjoyed fixing things around the house, usually because he had
the skills to do so, but often because he never wanted to pay for something he could attempt
himself. He greatly cherished his large family and his many friends from the various chapters of
his life, entertaining them on St. Patrick’s Day and writing long messages to them on annual
Christmas cards. He was a very good man who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
George is survived by his wife, Charlene; their children: Julie Law (David), Molly Wagoner
(Michael), and Tim Harkin (Stephanie); his 5 grandchildren: Nora, Natalie, Margot, Burke, and
Alice; his sisters: Eileen McDermott, Kathleen Canoro, and Maureen Sweeney; his sister-in-law
Patsy Harkin; and numerous foster children, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by
his parents George and Ellen Harkin; his brother Eddie Harkin; and his brothers-in-law and
friends, Bill McDermott and Bill Sweeney.
A wake will be held on Monday, June 25th from 6pm to 9pm at Murphy’s Funeral Home, 4510
Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203. A funeral Mass followed by a celebration of life will be held on
Tuesday, June 26th at 11am at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, 5312 10th St. N, Arlington, VA
22205. Interment will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association
( www.lbda.org/donate ) or to the Maryknoll Society ( www.maryknollsociety.org ).
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FAMILY
- Charlene Harkin Wife
- Timothy Harkin Son
- Molly Wagoner Daughter
- Julia Law Daughter
- 5 grandchildren
Past Services
Monday,
25 June, 2018
Visitation
Tuesday,
26 June, 2018
Thank You
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George F. Harkin
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