Luke Harkness

Luke Harkness officially died on September 11, 2024. But he stopped being Luke in a car accident that happened on September 8, 2024. His family chose to honor his life by giving 8 families the gift of organ donation so that he could live on in them. He went into surgery on September 13 to give those gifts and his heart stopped beating at 1:24 am on September 14, 2024. He was 16 years old.

Luke was one of the happiest people you could ever meet. He was so full of life on the outside, but on the inside he was one of the saddest people you could ever know. He loved everyone so hard that he was scared they didn’t love him back. So, he took that and decided to be a light to everyone he met. He never wanted anyone to feel like he did. He loved people. He loved to make them laugh and he hurt when they did. He spent most of his days trying to protect everyone he met from sadness. He frequently stood up for kids being bullied and always wanted to be the knight in shining armor for girls. This even caused a schoolyard brawl a time or two.

He loved kids and would frequently teach them to ice skate, play basketball, fish, or throw a football. He was the favorite big kid on his block and considered all of the smaller boys his little brothers. Luke was the only boy in all of his cousins and surrounded by girls including his sister and was absolutely elated for his Uncle JJ and Aunt Lindsey to have a boy. When he found out he responded with “Just saying, me and the new one are going to take over the world one day.” He adored his 1 year old cousin Callum so much. But his Big Sister Kamryn was his built in best friend. They Fought, schemed and laughed together since the day he was born. They had a fierce love that was unmatched.

Luke had the most infectious personality. When he was happy on a good day, you were all happy. His laugh was beautiful. He was the silliest kid you’d ever met. When he was 2, an employee at a pier one asked him how old he was. With the straightest face you’ve ever seen, he said, “92.” And when she asked him if he was sure, he said, “Yep.”

He loved music, football, Fishing, and more than anything he loved Ice Skating. He didn’t care how he was getting home, but if he could get to the rink he would be there all day. He loved it so much he chose to work there for his first job. He called the people at the rink his other family. He fiercely loved his friends. All of them. Even the ones he fought with like siblings. But Luke also had the most forgiving heart of anyone out there. He never held a grudge. He didn’t care how bad the argument was. When it was over, it was like it never happened. When you met him for the first time he had a way of making you feel like you had known him forever. His Friend Elijah calls that the Luke effect. And he did have a profound effect on so many people.

Luke is survived by Mom Lyndsie, Sister Kamryn, Stepfather Steven, Mimi and Papa, Gramps and Jojo, Nana and Papa, Uncle JJ and Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Brandon and Aunt Corrie, Cousins Callum, Adelyn, Maycie, and Paislee and Honorary Family members from all walks of life. If you were his friend you were his family.