Patrick Nicholas Harkins III passed away on November 7, 2016, at his home in Jackson, Mississippi, in the company of his family. He led a life based on hard work and level-headed conscientiousness, enhanced by curiosity, and peppered with his love of football, music, and fishing. Nick endlessly sought the most out of life.
Nick was born in the old Baptist Hospital on April 27, 1941, to Patrick Nicholas Harkins, Jr., and Ruth Gammon Harkins. He began his education at St. Mary’s Catholic grammar school in Jackson. From there he progressed to St. Joseph Catholic School, when it was located on Amite Street. Throughout his high school tenure, Nick played football, basketball, and baseball, sang in the Glee Club, served on the Student Council and as Junior Class President, and earned the position of yearbook Editor, as well as, selection to the American Legion Boys State.
In the fall of 1959, Nick entered the freshman class at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Along with meeting life long friends from all over the US, he traveled the country annually as a second tenor in the Notre Dame Glee Club. He served as its President his senior year. Nick graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance and Economics.
With undergraduate work completed, Nick returned home in 1963 to attend The University of Mississippi School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate.
While at Notre Dame, Nick began his decade of full and part-time military service as a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He would eventually rise to the rank of Captain with stints in the Army, the Army Reserves, and the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Nick completed a tour of duty at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, earned an Army Commendation Medal, a Vietnam Service Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal.
After active duty, Nick moved to Washington, D.C., in 1967 to become a Legislative Assistant to U. S. Congressman G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery. His roommates in the 3-story Palisades house would remain close for decades. One night, Nick attended a Congressional Secretaries Club reception in the Ways & Means Committee Hearing Room in the Longworth House office building. There he was introduced to Mary Beth Wilson of Little Rock, Arkansas. Two years later, they would marry and move to Jackson.
Settled back in his hometown, Nick entered private practice. He took a position at the firm of Watkins & Eager in 1970, and became a partner three years later. He would continue to practice at the firm for 39 years. Nick specialized in class action and other complex litigation defense, environmental and toxic tort litigation defense, as well as product liability litigation defense. He was admitted to all Mississippi state and federal Courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Nick was a member of numerous bar associations, including the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association (Mississippi Chapter), the Mississippi Bar Association, the Hinds County Bar Association and the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association.
During the course of his professional career, Nick held various local and national positions of distinction. The Jackson Young Lawyers Association elected him President. He was selected as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and later served as a Trustee and President of the Foundation. He was also nominated to be a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Bar Foundation. Nick earned appointment to the Local Rules Advisory Committee of the U. S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi. He served on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice, a coalition of defense practitioners and corporate counsel, advocating for improvements to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Additionally, Nick was asked to be a delegate to the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Nick was invited to join several national organizations of defense attorneys, including the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Association of Defense Trial Attorneys and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He was an active member of the IADC Products Liability Committee and served as its Chair. He thoroughly enjoyed his time on the Faculty of the IADC Defense Counsel Trial Academy and was chosen to serve as its Director one year.
Most notably, Nick was proud to be elected and serve as President of the Defense Research Institute, a national organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel with more than 22,000 members. Over the years, he enthusiastically accepted many roles within DRI. Plus Nick and Mary Beth cherished the many friendships they developed with fellow members and their spouses from all over the country.
Outside of his profession, Nick also proved active with several community organizations. He served as President of St. Dominic Health Systems Foundation Board of Directors, and member of the Advisory Board of St. Dominic Hospital Executive Committee, St. Joseph Catholic School Board, St. Catherine Village Retirement Community Board of Directors, Finance Council of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Diocesan Schools Advisory Council, and St. Richard Catholic Church Choir.
Furthermore, Nick served as Chairman of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Board, Member of the Board of the Mississippi Opera Association, and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Jackson.
Throughout his life’s experiences, Nick was guided and encouraged by his strong faith. He was generous with his time and committed to serving others. An avid Notre Dame football fan, he appreciated a well-timed joke, and believed in the healing powers of gospel, country, and blues music.
Nick is predeceased by his parents, Patrick Nicholas Harkins, Jr., and Ruth Gammon Harkins; mother and father-in-law, Dr. Ralph Rust Wilson II and Betsy Glenn Wilson; his paternal grandparents, Patrick Nicholas Harkins and Alice Waggoner Harkins; his maternal grandparents, Harry Robert Gammon and Martha Denman Gammon; and his wife’s beloved aunt and uncle, Edgar DeMatt Henderson and Janis Lewis Henderson.
Nick is survived by his wife, Mary Beth; his children, Elizabeth Glenn Halstead of Chester, New Jersey, and DeMatt Henderson Harkins of Jackson; his son-in-law, Michael Ian Halstead; and his daughter-in-law, Jane Collins Harkins. He was the proud grandfather of Brendan Patrick Halstead, Lucy Elizabeth Halstead, and Annie Mae Harkins.
Nick is also survived by his sisters, Dorothy Harkins Lehew of Allen, Texas, and Mary Thomasine Harkins of Burlington, Massachusetts; his brother, Paul Keith Harkins and his wife, Ann Bryson Harkins; nieces and nephews, Lisa Lehew Perry (Tom), Stephanie Lynn Lehew, Patrick LaCaffinie Lehew, Leigh Corinne Lehew, Mary Katherine Harkins Grantham (David), and Patrick Keith Harkins.
Visitation will be held at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday, November 10, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and again at St. Richard’s on Friday, November 11, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. A funeral mass will follow immediately at 10:00 am. A graveside service will be held afterwards at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, Mississippi.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts be made to Catholic Charities, Inc., The MIND Center - University of Mississippi Medical Center, or Mississippi Blood Services.
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