Kingston Harney, 72, of Owensboro, died peacefully in his home surrounded by his family on Saturday, June 8, 2024. He was born June 27, 1951, in Louisville, Kentucky to the late Fred Harney and June T. Harney.
Kingston, known by his friends as King, was a charming and charismatic character. He graduated from Purdue University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. While at Purdue, he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity where his nickname was logically “Kong.” It was in Chemistry class at Purdue that he met his wife, Doreen; career opportunities eventually led them to build their lives in Owensboro.
Built to be an engineer, King spent much of his career with Commonwealth Aluminum where he worked as an industrial engineer, dutifully solving problems and designing solutions. His family always felt safe and cared for as a result of his attention to the minutia of problems life presents – he never failed to carefully read the owner’s manual.
King was a pursuer of serval passions in his life, including fast bikes and fast cars. His parking spot was known to house an assortment of motorcycles, including some fun years with his beloved red Mustang. Doreen was always grateful to his riding buddies for keeping him safe on all their road adventures. King particularly enjoyed his time in Florida when he was able to share that love of motorcycles with his brother, George. Through the years, the two of them always enjoyed the time they had together.
Upon retirement, one of King’s chief pursuits was refining his golf game. He was a member of Windridge Country Club, where he also served on the Board for several years. King even lived the golfer’s dream of scoring not one, but two elusive holes-in-one. He never lost his desire to get out on the course with his buddies and Doreen, and he enjoyed opportunities to take his grandkids for rides on the golf cart.
A lover of rock and roll and guitar fanatic, King continued to play surf rock until his final days, and his son, Jim, was his favorite jam session partner. He firmly believed that the correct number of guitars was however many you currently own, plus one.
King’s final decade of life was punctuated with treatments for the multiple myeloma which eventually took his life, but he never let the disease define him. He continued to enjoy the simple pleasures of the daily crossword, his Tuesday coffee gang, and regular trips to Louisville to cheer his grandkids for weekend sporting events. In his signature way, King outlived expectations and was able to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with the love of his life.
Along with his parents, King was preceded in death by his stepmother, Edna Harney.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 50 years, Doreen; children, James (Nicole) Harney and Meg (Neil) Gregory; grandchildren, Zacharias Hands, Eric and Hazel Gregory; and stepbrother, George (Kay) Dreher. He was well-loved by those in his family and will be missed by many.
Services will be 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at St. Stephen Cathedral. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Haley McGinnis Funeral Home & Crematory and on Thursday, June 20, 2024, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at St. Stephen Cathedral.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of charitable donations made payable to the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club, 3415 Buckland Square, Owensboro, KY 42301, and to Goodfellows Club c/o Messenger-Inquirer, 1401 Frederica Street, Owensboro, KY 42301.
Haley McGinnis Funeral Home & Crematory is both honored and privileged to be entrusted with the care of Kingston James Harney. Leave your messages of condolence for the family of Mr. Harney and sign his virtual guestbook at www.haleymcginnis.com.