Paul Harkins

Born on August 20, 1939, in Bakersfield, CA, he was predeceased by his parents Paul Edward Harkins and Jaqueline Wigand, his adopted mother Jessie Mahler Harkins, and beloved sister Eva Lou Mahler.

He grew up in Tulare County, CA and at the age of 16, he found himself before a judge and was given the choice of jail or joining the military and in 1955, unbeknownst to Paul his father helped him enlist in the military by falsifying records and claiming that he was 18 years of age. It wasn’t until Paul’s father passed away in 1974 that he learned about his father’s deception to get him into the military and was struck with the knowledge that he was 2 years younger than he originally thought.

Despite the age discrepancy, Paul served his country proudly in the Air Force as an Air Policeman and a Dog Handler with the K-9 unit. During his service, he earned himself the nickname “Hawkeye” due to his excellent eyesight and his proficiency as a Marksman shooter. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1960 and went on to serve an additional nine years with the Air National Guard.

In 1956, while stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, Paul met his wife Donna at the Owl Café where she was working as a waitress. His perseverance and enigmatic personality eventually won her heart and on February 16, 1957, the two were wed and celebrated 65 years together. They welcomed 2 children, 6 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren throughout the years. Also, during his time at DM he met Fred Hamrick and the 2 became lifelong friends. Fred and his wife Joyce were so close to Paul and Donna that each other’s children growing up together referred to them as Aunt and Uncle.

After his service in the military, Paul moved to Canton, Ohio and was sponsored into the Ironworker’s apprenticeship by his brother-in-law. After completing his apprenticeship, he moved back to Tucson and worked as a Journeyman Ironworker for the Ironworkers Local 75. There he met his life-long friends, J.R. Walker and Chuck Guinup. Some of Paul’s fondest memories included late nights spent with Donna, his best friends and their wives Sally and Kelly, bowling and playing Pinochle, sharing jokes and laughter late into the night. Paul later moved to the Bay Area and worked for the Ironworkers Local 378. Some of his most fulfilling projects as an Ironworker included retrofitting skyscrapers in San Francisco and living high in the sky before eventually retiring in 1993. He was both honored and proud the day he received his 50-year pin from the Ironworkers in 2015.

Paul’s most satisfying accomplishment was being a father to his children. He taught his children that anything in life could be accomplished with a little ingenuity, the right tools, and a lot of hard work. And most importantly, he taught his children that if ever there was a challenge they couldn’t quite figure out, they could always call dad and he would be there with a tool from his collection in hand or a crafty trick up his sleeve.

Paul had many joys in life, most notably, he loved bowling. He spent many years in bowling leagues down in Tucson where he eventually made his way into the Pro Bowlers Association ProAm tournament as an outstanding amateur bowler. Some of his other hobbies included fishing, billiards, pinball, bingo, watching cartoons and stock car races, and reading veraciously. He fondly taught his grandkids the art of sledding, shooting, and fishing.

Paul was always joking, laughing, and smiling. He had a gregarious personality and a love of meeting new people. Most of all, he enjoyed being in the presence of his dear friends and family.

He leaves his wife, Donna Harkins and their two children, son Rick Harkins (Laura Adams Harkins) and daughter Vicki Harkins. He also leaves his six grandkids; Tamera Harkins, Laneya Clark (J.R. Clark), Brian Harkins, Lisa Harkins, Rikki Himmel (Jon Himmel), Mariah Harkins, as well as his 9 great-grandchildren; Claudia Harkins, Caleb Harkins, Ky Harkins, Kaylie Harkins, Torren Clark, Olivia Harkins, Vincent Harkins, Lenore Harkins, Saoyrse Harkins.

We will deeply miss Paul’s mischievous smile, his hearty laugh, his sense of humor, and his unwavering, larger-than life presence.

In celebration of his life, a memorial service will be held at Southlawn Mortuary & Cemetery on June 20, 2022. The viewing and service will be from 9am – 12pm, followed by the graveside service, reception to follow at 12:45pm.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the wounded warrior project in his name to woundedwarriorproject.org