Patty Harkins

(From Nichols-Stephens Funeral Home)

Patricia Ann Harkins had a quick wit and a keen eye for detail. These are perhaps perilous attributes for someone with a lesser heart, but Patricia, known by most as Pat or Patty, always used her cleverness and perceptiveness to ingratiate herself to whoever she met, asking questions, making whoever feels seen and at ease, and, of course, cracking jokes.

Although she was quite religious, she believed in a forgiving God, and wasn’t afraid to throw in a stray cuss for comedic effect. And even if you didn’t think her jokes were funny, her contagious, throaty laugh would eventually solicit a response in-kind.

Her mind remained sharp and her laugh just as resonant, nearly all the way until her death on March 7, 2025, at the age of 84 in Grove, Oklahoma. Her love for her family endures, resolutely, palpably, long after her last breath.

Born on March 4, 1941, in Miami, Oklahoma to Norman and Evelyn (Schoenhals) Walker, Patty dedicated many years to her career as a bookkeeper in the car sales business and for an Oklahoma City-based concrete company before her retirement.

Patty attended school in Miami, Oklahoma. There, she married Jack Dennis Harkins in 1958. He told those who asked why that Patty had strawberry blond hair and was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. They made homes there, in Durant, Oklahoma, and Georgia, and finally in Fairland, Oklahoma. Jack, who was the then-Ottawa County Sheriff, preceded her in death in 1999.

Patty was known for her compassion and generosity. She cherished spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and talked to them about how smart and ornery – genes quite strong in the family – they were.

She was a long-standing member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miami, where she actively participated in the Ladies Alter Society. Her faith and that community were central to her life, providing strength and comfort for years after she moved away from Ottawa County. Her prolonged illness had prevented her from attending Catholic services in-person for years, but she kept many reminders of her faith, as well as a close, personal relationship with God.

She leaves behind a loving family, including her three children, Kim Beebe (Richard) of Miami, Oklahoma, John Harkins (Jackie) of Durant, and Jennifer Taylor of Miami; six grandchildren, Chelsea, Brooks, Kaylee, Britani, Justin, and Paighten; and four great-grandchildren. Patty is also survived by her siblings, Mary Smittle of Joplin, Missouri, James Walker (Diane) of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Cathey Walker of Kansas City, Missouri. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother John C. Walker, of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Memorial services will be held at 10 am on Friday, March 21, 2025, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miami. Patty’s life and legacy will live on in her family members, who cherish the time they had with her. Her love for them, carried out dutifully and unwavering, absolves any wrong she ever did.
Nichols-Stephens Funeral & Cremation Services in Grove, Oklahoma is assisting the family during their time of need.