Helen Louise Harkness
February 29, 1928 - February 22, 2021

On Sunday, February 21, 2021, Helen Leslie Harkness, PhD passed away at the age of 92, days shy of her 93rd birthday, in peace with family. Dr. Harkness was an entrepreneur, career consultant, writer, speaker and researcher. She was a pioneer in the field of career development and the author of four books after age 67. Through her lectures, workshops and counseling sessions, she provided more than 10,000 people with an ageless perspective on meaningful and profitable work in an evolving career climate. She inspired everyone from all walks of life to create careers they were better suited for, and that they loved. Helen practiced what she preached. Her own career shattered the ageist myths about vocation and longevity, demonstrating her proclamation that functional age was more important than chronological age. She owned and operated her business until she was 91 years old. Helen believed that the best anti-aging strategy was identifying your purpose and pursuing it whole-heartedly with a plan. In her final years she was dedicated to education reform, founding a non-profit to help students better understand themselves and design their lives with intent. A child of the Great Depression, Helen was a feminist without ever touting the word. She loved trees and plants. She even turned her 7-acre property into a government-sanctioned tree farm. Her home was always open to friends and family, many of which would stay for weeks or months on end as they redesigned their lives. All her interests served her life’s purpose. As she often said, “I grow trees, and I grow people.” Born a leap-year baby on February 29th, 1928 in Cowen, West Virginia, Dr. Harkness was the youngest of eight. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Speech and English from Columbia University and West Virginia University. She married Dr. John Harkness in the 1950s, moved to Garland, Texas and raised their three children, Ann, John, and Jane. In that time, she was a beloved teacher, professor, and dean at many schools and universities throughout the Dallas area. Divorcing her husband in the 1960s, Helen credits this as being a pivotal decision that honed her ability to listen to her intuition and redirect her life. She went on to earn a PhD in Adult/Higher Education and English from The University of North Texas, and became founder and president of Career Design Associates, Inc., which she owned and operated in Garland, Texas until 2019. Helen was preceded in death by her son John, her eight siblings, and her parents, Jake and Ivery Jane Leslie. She is survived by her daughters Ann and Jane, her son-in-law, Scott, her grandchildren Milo, Leslie, Bonnie, Lucas, and Laura, her dear extended family in West Virginia – the Leslie clan – a myriad of beloved friends, former students, and clients, and the many trees she planted for the future.

A virtual Memorial Gathering will be held March 27th at 4pm CST. You can find more information about her service and to see her Virtual Memorial page at www.helenharkness.memorial.

The Garland Texan and other sources