ALBANY – Harry Elbert Tompkins, Jr., 88, died Friday, February 17, 2017 at the Eddy Village Green in Cohoes with his daughter and a caring hospice nurse at his side.
Born in Albany on September 3, 1928, he was the son of the late Harry E. and Mary Lynch Tompkins, Sr. A resident of Albany and Delmar for many years, Harry also attended schools across the United States while his father was an officer in the US Navy. He later studied engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. He served in the US Army National Guard from 1950-53 during the Korean War.
His lifetime employment was at E.W. Tompkins Company, Inc. Industrial Plumbing and Heating Engineering of Albany, NY which is a family business founded by his grandfather Elbert William Tompkins. He later became the owner / CEO of the business.
He was a member of the University Club and the Albany Rotary. He was an antique gun collector and bowler and enjoyed boating on his Chris-Craft boat named “Maybe”. He was an avid history and geography buff and car racing and NASCAR fan. He attended the Daytona 500 race every year with his late wife Diana and friends Tom and Donna.
Harry was the beloved husband of the late Diana Carofano Tompkins who died in 2010; loving father of Patricia Hamilton-Solum of Austin, TX, John P. (Luanne) Tompkins of Tuscon, AZ and James E. Tompkins of Richmond Hill, GA; grandfather of Tara, Marshall, Brian, Sophia, Christopher, Jennifer, Gary and Dale; great grandfather of Michael, Charlie and Anthony; brother of the late Kenneth Tompkins and the late Mary “Mardi” Tompkins; brother in law of Jeanne (late Kenneth) Tompkins of Wilton, NY, Patricia (late Tonino) Corona of Pittsburgh, PA and Joan (late Robert) McBain of Maplewood, NY. He will also be greatly missed by his 20 nieces and nephews and many grand-nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Thursday, March 16th at 10:15 am from the Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet and at 11:00 am at St. Pius X Church, Loudonville, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Following the mass, his ashes will be entombed at the American Saints Mausoleum at St. Agnes Cemetery Menands.
Relatives and friends are also invited to visiting hours at the funeral home on Wednesday, March 15th from 4:00-6:30 pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 4 Pine West Plaza, Suite 405, Albany, NY 12205.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com.

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