Senate Resolution No. 935
BY: Senator HARCKHAM
MOURNING the death of Dr. Laura D. Harckham,
distinguished educator, community advocate and
longtime resident of Rockland County
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
individuals of great character whose lives exemplified selfless service
to their community and whose accomplishments leave a lasting legacy; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to mourn the passing of Dr.
Laura D. Harckham, a distinguished educator, community advocate, and
longtime resident of Rockland County, New York, who died on March 3,
2025, at the age of 98; and
WHEREAS, Born in the City of New York in 1926, Laura D. Harckham was
a product of the city's vibrant intellectual life; she earned her B.A.
and M.A. degrees from Queens College and later attained a Ph.D. in
Educational Psychology from Fordham University, marking the beginning of
a remarkable career in higher education; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her career, Dr. Laura D. Harckham taught
educational testing at several colleges and universities, served with
distinction as a dean at Rockland Community College, consulted for
school districts, and mentored doctoral candidates, thereby shaping the
minds and lives of countless students and educators; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Laura D. Harckham and her beloved husband of 67 years,
Arthur Harckham, raised their family in Rockland County, where they were
active members of the community; they later relocated to Connecticut,
but her contributions and ties to Rockland remained enduring; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her professional endeavors, Dr. Laura D.
Harckham was deeply committed to civic causes; she championed civil
rights and mental health, supported integration efforts, served with the
League of Women Voters in Dallas, Texas, and played a vital role on the
library board in New City, New York; and
WHEREAS, A woman of broad interests and boundless energy, Dr. Laura
D. Harckham was an avid reader, an enthusiastic traveler, and a lover
of tennis, dining, and spirited gatherings with family and friends; she
will also be affectionately remembered for her fondness for chocolate
and her good-natured battles over lobster rolls with her
great-granddaughter, Phoebe; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Laura D. Harckham's memory will be cherished by her
loving family, including her sons, Jared (Alejandro Hernandez), Finley
(Palmer Sloan), and Peter (Jin Hee Stevens); her five grandchildren,
Spike (Eleni Petrow), Heath (Malorie Cunningham), Haley (Tim McDermott),
Emma (Mike Dixon), and Kate (Ryan Frantzis); and her
great-granddaughter, Phoebe, along with two more great-grandchildren
expected in June; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Laura D. Harckham leaves behind a legacy of compassion,
intelligence, and public service which will long endure the passage of
time and will remain as a comforting memory to all who were privileged
to have known and loved such an amazing woman; she will be deeply missed
and truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Dr. Laura D. Harckham, and to express its deepest
condolences to her family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Dr. Laura D. Harckham.
