John Alan Harkness (Alan), April 1929 – October 2023

Obituary provided by Alan’s son, Dr Paul Harkness.

Alan, an only child born in April 1929, was brought up mainly in the Kenton area of Newcastle, at that time an area surrounded by fields and farms. At the outbreak of war, his school closed and this prompted his mother to search on foot for an alternative. After many months she came across Dame Allan's School in Fenham, Newcastle, and convinced the school to allow Alan to take the scholarship examination. His performance was such that he was awarded a scholarship (the fees could never have been afforded) and he started there in 1940, soon being evacuated with the school to Windermere for 3 years.

At the age of 16, he along with many other pupils left school to earn a wage and he began an apprenticeship with Parsons in Heaton as an electrical fitter. He was allowed to delay his National Service in order to complete his apprenticeship in 1950, after which he spent two years with the RAF in Wiltshire as an instructor in Radar Engineering. On completion of National Service, he returned to Parsons and whilst working full-time studied at night school for several years to gain further qualifications and become a Chartered Electrical Engineer.

Alan's working life was spent entirely with Parsons / Reyrolle, in the field of electrical instrumentation and switch gear for power stations. He was responsible for numerous projects throughout the North including at Drax power station.

During his working life, he was an active member of the IEE. He served as treasurer of the Northeast branch and was then one of the founder members of the Retired Members' Section where he regularly attended for a total of 27 years. Following retirement in 1992, he and his wife Sheila enjoyed the regular social events organised by the RMS.

Alan and Sheila had met as teenagers at the AYPA (Anglican Young People's Association) at Newcastle Cathedral. They married at the Cathedral in 1952 and attended regularly, with Alan being a server there for many years.

They lived in Old Washington village for a short time but then bought a house in Forest Hall in 1954, where they brought up their family, Linda and Paul. The family home subsequently became a second home to grandchildren Alastair and Emma.

After Sheila's death in 2017, Alan continued to live there until just over a year ago when he moved to a retirement apartment in Jesmond Assembly.

Here he found companionship and friendship and he joined in the social life with enthusiasm. He particularly enjoyed the regular lunch outings to various local restaurants and the weekly stroll to the nearby Collingwood pub.

Sadly, he died suddenly on 15/10/23 while walking home from one such Sunday lunch with friends, at which, I am told, he had thoroughly enjoyed the "sparkling conversation and gales of laughter", as well as a very good G&T.

He is greatly missed by all his family, but we are glad that he was able to meet his 3-month-old great-granddaughter, Maia.