On November 22, 2024, Dr. David Roy Yarkony, beloved husband of Kathryn Yarkony; devoted father of Julian Yarkony, Alexander Yarkony and his wife Julie, and Andrea Yarkony and her husband Will; dear brother of Gary Yarkony and his wife Kirsten.

Dr. David Yarkony, PhD, was the D. Mead Johnson Professor of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, an avid New York Giants fan, a community basketball player, and a loving father and husband.

David grew up in Brooklyn, New York with his brother, Gary, and parents Ann and Stanley Yarkony. His father, a tailor, made all the boys' clothes. David was very proud of the the grey suit his father made him when he went to college, which he subsequently wore to many events throughout his 75 years including his daughter's wedding. He was valedictorian of Wingate Highschool, and when he wasn't studying, he enjoyed playing pool, basketball, and stickball with his friends.

After David graduated, summa cum laude, from Stoneybrook with a BA in chemistry, he drove cross country in a Mercury Cougar to start his PhD at University of California at Berkley. There, he began his lifelong dedication to and love for theoretical chemistry research. According to David's colleagues who reflected on his career in his Festschrift, he developed novel computational methods in physical chemistry and, in their application, contributed to our understanding of the potential energy of molecules. David could be spotted at the beach, the kitchen table, and his kids' swim meet with an orange pencil in one hand and a manuscript draft in the other.

David enjoyed 40 years of scientific curiosity with dear friends all over the world. He was grateful to spend his life traveling to work with esteemed colleagues in Australia, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, France, and Taiwan. He was even more grateful to return home to his family—his wife Kathryn and his children Julian, Alexander, and Andrea. He was a vocal cheerleader at many a swim meet and football game. He enjoyed reading Harry Potter at bedtime, playing catch with his signed Ceasar Cedeno glove, and watching the New York Giants snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. He was a devoted father who awoke before 6 am to go for bike rides with his daughter before school and camped (almost exclusively in the rain) with his son's boy scout troop. He loved swimming laps with Kathryn since the day they met in the Hopkins pool.

It was clear to everyone who met David that he was hard working and brilliant, and his passion showed through in everything he did. He loved his work and spending time with his family. He had a dry sense of humor and an accent from Brooklyn that never left him. His contributions to the field of theoretical physical chemistry speak loudly for themselves, and he will be dearly missed by colleagues, friends, and family.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 1PM at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 East Padonia Road, Timonium, Maryland 21093. We will meet at the lake at 12:45 PM, then go in procession to the graveside. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Parkinson's Foundation https://www.parkinson.org

The faculty at JHH is having a gathering following the burial to honor Dr. Yarkony, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Care of the Department of Chemistry Johns Hopkins University, Inn at the Colonade, 4 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218. Parking is available. From the cemetery, turn right out of the gate, follow Padonia Road cross York Road, look for I83 South, (right exit) after on I83, take left lane toward Towson, merge onto the Baltimore Beltway , Interstate 695, Use Exit 25 (Charles Street), Follow south on Charles Street (Route 139), for about 4 miles, turn right onto University Parkway, and the Inn at the Colonade will be a few blocks up on the right. (410) 235-5400.