Collin Edward Harkness

There have been so many occasions where Collin would ask me to edit or look over a design or updated resume, or I would get his help on something with Illustrator (because he will always be so much better at it than I will.) Never in a million years did I think that it would be time to write the absolute worst document: his obituary.

My brother was easily the most talented artist I have ever met. From drawing anatomically correct dinosaurs (and blind dinosaurs!) at age four… to sketching incredibly intricate and perfectly scaled foreign car engines by memory around age 12… to being able to transfer all of that talent directly to a digital platform seamlessly by age 22… When we were little kids, I would always see Collin sketching. It was insane – he was so good. And it came so effortlessly to him. I was always in awe of what he could create with a pencil, paper, and five free minutes waiting in a restaurant. As far back as I can remember, Collin was a humble, caring, funny, talented, supportive, and quiet but very passionate kid.

As he got older, it became very apparent that one passion was beginning to take a stronghold on him: his love of cars. And I don’t just mean he loved cars; I mean he could correctly identify hundreds of exotic, classic, foreign, and /or rare cars just by listening to a recording of its engine. Seriously. His breadth of knowledge for automobiles, engines, dynos, custom exhausts, and anything performance parts goes FAR beyond what I could even dream of understanding.

That passion led him to the mountains of Wyoming after graduating from Blue Valley North High School, eager to continue learning as much as he could about cars. I remember how excited Collin was when he heard about Wyotech… literal airplane hangars full of cars ready to be completely taken apart and then put back together, other people that could fluently speak his car language, a small and low-key campus nestled between mountain ranges… it was incredible. All the while, he continued self-educating himself with graphic design and 3D design, with many of his designs involving his own custom take on a car – or creating a never-before-seen car that looked as lifelike as a photograph.

Months before he even graduated, he was offered the opportunity to come back to KC and work on high-end exotic and luxury cars, installing custom performance enhancements, and getting to test drive most of the vehicles. It was here at Imagine Auto that Collin also had the opportunity to race in Buffalo Run.

For the past ten years, Collin moved into the large-scale printing and display industry, getting to showcase and expand upon his graphic design expertise. He loved working with the massive printers, vehicle wraps, and seemingly endless variety of printable mediums.

Throughout his entire life, he was always respectful of everyone, their belongings, and their time. Collin was never late to work – and hardly ever took a sick day. More likely than not, he would work extra hours to ensure whatever he was working on was absolutely as perfect as it could be. That was a quality I always tried to emulate, as were many other.

A part of me died on March 12th. And the same can be said for a lot of others – so many more than he ever realized. Collin was a friend, a coworker, a teacher, an artist, an animal advocate, a son, step-son, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle… a driver… and most importantly to me, my little brother. May you be free of all pain and suffering.

I (will always) wish you were here.

Your sister,

Alex

In true Collin style, we will have a very low-key remembrance reception to honor his life and everything he meant to us (complete with sanitizer, don’t worry). That will be followed by the sharing of any stories and memories quests would like to share about Collin.

Due to the Covid-19 Virus, services have been postponed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mtmoriah.net for the Harkness family.