Obituary of Mark Brian Harmon

Mark Brian Harmon

Mark Brian Harmon passed away on September 8, 2024, from a progressive form of Parkinson’s disease. He was 79 and lived in New Canaan with his beloved wife, Darlene. He is survived by their three children, Matthew (Anne), Lauren (Gerbrand Hoogvliet), and Colby, as well as three grandchildren. He also leaves behind his twin brother Bruce and sister Andree Linderman.

Mark was raised in Burlingame, California, by his mother, Liliane Rognier Harmon. He studied at Willamette University and earned a law degree from Hastings College of Law. He began his career as a Public Defender in Santa Clara County, California, developing a lifelong commitment to fairness and justice.

In 1984, he moved to Washington, D.C, becoming a federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division, where he prosecuted violent extremists and law enforcement abuses. Later, in the Environmental Crimes Section, he led the prosecution of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, securing the largest environmental criminal settlement in U.S. history.

Mark spent 17 years at the UN War Crimes Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia, drafting the first genocide indictment against Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic and proving genocide in Srebrenica. He later served as a judge in Cambodia’s war crimes court, investigating Khmer Rouge-era atrocities despite government resistance.

Beyond the courtroom, Mark was an avid outdoorsman, passionate about fly-fishing, hiking and climbing in the Sierra Nevada, Rockies. and Alps. Mark loved being in nature with friends and his sons.

Those wishing to honor Mark’s memory may donate to organizations supporting international justice, environmental conservation, or the rule of law-causes close to his heart, His legacy endures in the justice he pursued, the family he cherished and the lives he touched.

For online condolences please visit www.hoytfuneralhome.com