Karen Whorton Harkins—God made only one. She was humble, reserved, thoughtful, reflective, compassionate and with that copper red hair had a fiery wit that those close to her knew very well and appreciated. She is preceded by her parents, John D. Whorton and Martha K. Whorton.
She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Thomas H. Harkins of Snellville; her one and only daughter, Johanna (Jodi) D. Harkins of Grayson; two younger loved and loving brothers, Johnny D. Whorton of LaGrange and Richard K. Whorton of Pine Mountain; three well-loved and adored grandchildren that referred to her as “Nonnie,” Benjamin A. Johansen, Gavin D. Johansen and Virginia (Gini) R. Johansen; nephew, David Whorton (Tammy); niece, Kathy Whorton Johnson (Jeremy); and nephew, Eric P. Harkins (Toni); plus great-nieces and nephews; and cousins galore! She loved her family so very much. She would do and has done anything for them.
She was born in Atlanta, Georgia at Crawford Long Hospital as her mother had traveled by train from Pine Mountain, Georgia to be with family in Decatur before her birth. Her father’s family was from Alabama and relocated to Decatur, Georgia. Her mother’s family roots are deep in Athens, Georgia.
She graduated with honors from Georgia Southwestern in Americus where she was listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. She went on to teach English and French at Paulding County High School, South Hall High School and finally South Gwinnett High School.
After a break from teaching she became a Certified Court Reporter going around the southeast to different courts and cases. She enjoyed being a court reporter. She felt the urge to re-join public education after about eight years of court reporting. She wanted to have a more predictable schedule and less travel away from her family. She went back to school and earned her MLS in Library Science from Georgia State University and was hired by Buford High School as the Media Specialist. She retired from there 20+ years later.
While at South Hall High School she met Tom Harkins. He swept her off her feet with a whirlwind courtship which turned into a marriage of 52+ years. He absolutely misses her and her wit, banter, companionship, and deeply dearly loves her.
She developed several talents and hobbies over the years. Singing, writing, reading, prose, genealogy and last but definitely not the least was her cats. She was incredibly humble and it was hard for her to see how these talents brought joy to others. But they did.
She grew up singing from the time she heard Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, Broadway musicals, and the classical 1940s and 50s music. She could sing at the drop of a hat and did frequently. She was a high Soprano and developed this God given gift over the years with many teachers, coaches and choir directors. Church choir, special events, Gwinnett Choral Guild were some of the places where she would show her vocal talent. Some of these events ended up in standing ovations. Her most precious and cherished moments were singing to her baby daughter and then her three grandchildren.
She could whip up a retirement poem for her school colleagues, an editorial piece for newspapers, or to correct a national TV channel when they were wrong. She did it with dash and pizazz and fire. One unique writing experience she did not advertise is she was writing a historical book about Union Artillery Officer Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing from the Battle of Gettysburg who died at Cemetery Ridge during Pickett’s Charge. She relentlessly researched his life and gathered so much information. She was not able to finish it.
She was the go to authority on her family ancestry and history. She has boxes and boxes of pictures, letters, mementos that she was constantly looking into and cataloging. If the extended family wanted to know anything about the past and family ancestry, Karen knew. With an unquenchable thirst for connection and understanding of her families roots she passionately researched, studied, and brought together the family tree, relationships, and the connectivity of the family’s ancestries.
There was not a cat out there that Karen did not want to pet, hug, rescue, own, or adopt. Strays, ferals, abandoned cats all became a part of the family at some point in her life. For the past several years she would trap and have the feral cats in her neighborhood spayed or neutered and returned into the neighborhood. Several made permanent homes in the Harkins household.
Karen was a charter member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Snellville, a deacon, a board member of Prospect Church Cemetery Association.
With her passing, our hearts are left with an incredible hole that will never be filled. She loved: her daughter, her grandchildren, her husband, God, classical music, singing, reading, American Civil War History, travel (as long as it was on the ground), vacations at the beach, Disney World with the family, extended family, babies, cats, and other things I don’t recall.
Nonnie will always be loved and remembered as the best wife, mother, Nonnie, sister, aunt and cousin.
A visitation for Karen will be held Wednesday, December 14, 2022, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Bernstein Funeral Home, 3195 Atlanta Hwy., Athens, Georgia 30606. Following the visitation will be a funeral service at 2:00 PM at Bernstein Funeral Home Chapel, 3195 Atlanta Hwy., Athens, Georgia 30606. Karen will be laid to rest in Prospect United Methodist Church Cemetery, 334 Prospect Church Rd., Athens, Georgia 30607.
In lieu of flowers, donations by check can be made to Prospect Church Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 81667, Athens, Georgia 30608 or Planned Pet Hood, 2860 Buford Hwy., Duluth, Georgia 30096, online at PEThoodGA.org/give.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BernsteinFuneralHome.com for the Harkins family.
Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5