George Matthew Harkinson, Jr.

George Matthew Harkinson, Jr., 96, of Wilmington, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on September 20, 2019 at Liberty Commons Nursing Home. George was a Navy Veteran of World War II and a railroad conductor. He was a loving husband and proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. George was born July 17, 1923 in New York City, the youngest of six children. He served in the Navy, from January, 1940 until July, 1946, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific on several ships, including the USS Ludlow during World War II. On July 14, 1945 George married Anna Avallone. After the war he returned to New York City to raise a large family with Anna, including many foster children, while living on a houseboat on the East River. George was a conductor on the New York-New Haven and Hartford railroad line, where he was known as “Red.” In 1961, George moved his family to East Haven, Connecticut where they lived until 1985 when George retired and he and Anna moved to Washington, Maine. There George built his own house. George loved living in Maine where he could work on projects big and small. When he wasn’t building his house, he could be found splitting, cutting and stacking wood, volunteering in local soup kitchens, making noodles, shopping at Reny’s, building a chicken coop, or putting up food for winter. In 1997, George and Anna began spending winters in Wilmington, and in 2005 they moved to Wilmington permanently. George loved to take road trips, especially to visit family, and he could give directions from any two points on the east coast by way of Dunkin’ Donuts and the best value gas stations, while avoiding all tolls. His grandchildren share many memories of travelling between Connecticut and Maine in the middle of the night in the back of a capped red pickup with an egg carton mattress in the back on which they slept. George had an incredible memory and loved to tell stories from his days in the Navy, his adventures as a child, fishing trips to Canada, and living in New York City. George especially loved to fish and be out on the water, in both Maine and Wilmington. He also appreciated good homemade food, making things by hand, and the Boston Red Sox. George is survived by his wife of 74 years, Anna Avallone Harkinson; his sister-in-law Adeline Johnson; his sons, George Matthew Harkinson III and Michael Ramos, his daughters, Christine Harkinson, Elizabeth Vickerman, Anne Riggs and husband Chuck Riggs, Roberta Rayford and Cindy Rayford. He is also survived by his grandchildren Wendy, Inga, Margaret, Frank, Jon, Sara, Matthew, Ashley, Brandon, Sam, Emily, Richard, Claire, Charlie, Fredrick, Elaine, Loliet, and Maxime. He was loved by his great grand-children Juliana, Kai, Nova, Wyatt, Alex, Ashley, Brock, Ana, Maeve, Finn, Madeline, Leo, Quinn, Linus, Noa and Darwin. He is predeceased by his parents, George Harkinson and Ida Wallis, his siblings, Edith, Viola, Lillian, Robert, and Edward, his son, John Harkinson, and grandson, George Matthew Harkinson IV.

George Matthew Harkinson, Jr.

July 17, 1923 - September 20, 2019