Colonel Harry Thomas Sharkey, Jr.

retired United States Air Force pilot and honored veteran of WW II, Korea, and Vietnam fell to a cruel enemy, Alzheimer's disease, on November 20, 2008 in Poulsbo, Washington.Colonel Sharkey is survived by his beloved wife of 69 years, Arlee Jo of Poulsbo and four daughters: Carolee (Bob) Pedersen of Bainbridge Island; Terri (Braxton) Morgan of Ormond Beach, FL; Cynthia Sharkey (George Wittler) of Poulsbo; and Christina (DeFrance) Clarke of Olympia. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren in nine states.He was born in Coquille, OR on October 15, 1920 and moved to Montesano, WA with his family when he was five. He was 15 when he moved to Tenino, WA where he met Arlee Jo Anderson. They eloped when he was 19 and she was 17 and were married on December 8, 1939.He earned his BS from the University of Maryland in 1963; his MS in Business Administration at George Washington University in 1970; and graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.Colonel Sharkey epitomized the concept of "an officer and a gentleman" throughout his life. He will be remembered with love as long as there are family members somewhere with tales to tell of "Papa."Interment has taken place at Tahoma National Cemetery.