Obituary of Mr. Harvey Harman
Harvey Paul Harman
September 7, 1936 – January 30, 2022
Passed away unexpectedly on January 30th. Harvey was the beloved partner of Nancy Ogden. Leaving behind grief stricken daughters Adrienne Avilez (Todd ) San Diego, and Sherrill Lewney (Rob Renko) Victoria, and granddaughters Ivy (Thomas McNeilage) and Exene. Predeceased by parents Leslie and Rachel Harman and brother Ralph.
Harvey was born in Toronto. He graduated from ‘then’ Ryerson Institute of Technology with a certificate in Architectural Technology (1958). In 1977 he was awarded a Bachelor of Technology in Construction Management from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. He also completed the RAIC Syllabus and was awarded his Diploma in Architecture (1999). Harvey had a diverse work history. He designed many commercial and residential buildings and other projects. He had a fascination for theme parks. His proudest theme park projects were his contributions to the West Edmonton Mall Theme Park and Fantasy Fair. He designed the Jurassic Park exhibit which travelled around the world. He won awards for his contributions to the Canadian Embassy in Beijing China (1993) and Sparks Street Mall Revitalization in Ottawa (1990). His last residential project for which he was extremely proud of was designing ‘Castlehome’, a house for our dear friends Brian and Carolyn. He made many architectural and design contributions at the Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club.
Harvey was greatly inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and was also a follower of Gaudi and Frank Gehry. Many trips were taken with the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust to see firsthand the work of these masters. He even had the privilege to meet the grandson of FLW. Prior to becoming ill we took to cruising (Mediterranean and Caribbean) and the highlight for Harvey was our river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam.
Before he was old enough to drive he and a friend restored a Model T Ford, secretly hiding their project from both parents but then they were found out and the car had to go. Thus began his fascination for cars and racing. He raced his Austin Healy Sprite around the race circuit including Mosport and Watkins Glen. He built a pro-type front end for his Sprite, which he had manufactured and sold to other racers. He was an avid fan of Formula One racing.
Harvey loved to ski, renting a chalet with friends at Blue Mountain, his family spent many winters skiing Blue. Not content with the slopes of Blue he began skiing out west with his favorite destination being Jackson Hole. Every winter he and his friends would drive to Jackson Hole. Many miles were put on his beloved Tornado. Stories were to be told (or not told) about those trips. He was so enthusiastic about mastering powder skiing that he moved his family to Jackson Hole for a winter so that he could really experience powder skiing. He later took up helicopter skiing.
Harvey loved to take canoeing camping trips to Algonquin and Killarney Provincial parks. He would go for multiple day, multiple lake trips, portaging and practicing skills learnt as a teenager. As a young man he even built his own canoe. He taught his daughters all he knew about canoeing, how to plan out portage routes and the practical bush-craft skills needed to survive in the woods. He knew how to manage for days on end with only what could be carried by canoe and portage.
Harvey was also an avid sailboat racer. He was an accomplished Lightning racer, racing ‘ADGO’ and ‘Firefly’ out of National Yacht Club and Toronto Sailing and Canoe Club. His daughters were often on board as (light-weight) crew. He also crewed on other successful boats including a Shark (Claire Norris /Time). He was racing as a crew member at Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club when he decided it was time to get his own racing sailboat. He became a senior member at ABYC and brought in ‘Wisterical’ (Niagara 26). He became a force to be reckoned with on the race course. He was a competitive skipper and with his experienced crew on board Harvey won many races and many trophies were brought home and lines of flags were raised up the mast for Sailpast. When he met Nancy he was introduced to ‘cruising’, an unfamiliar experience for him. “What”, use your engine? Unheard of! Only use that to get to the race course and back ... never with sails up!” Sail La Vie (CS 30) was acquired so that Harvey could continue competitive racing and Nancy could enjoy the comforts of cruising. Harvey raced at ABYC up until 2018 when he became sick. It took 2 years but Harvey worked diligently to build up his strength to get back behind the wheel. At the end of the 2021 season he raced in the LYRA ABYC/QCYC regatta event. It was challenging conditions but Harvey stayed out for all of the races, not winning a race but he and his crew were ecstatic to have been out there. He followed that event by racing in one of his favorite ABYC long-distance races and won first overall JAM and the Rita Walker trophy. He was so happy about this win. A special shout out to his crew that helped Harvey both in racing but also in caring for the boat while he was ill.
Harvey had lived in the Beach neighbourhood for nearly 40 years, buying the house on Waverley Rd in 1983. He did many different and extensive renovations over the years finally finishing with the beautiful version of the home that stands today. Amongst other things he hand-dug out half the basement, moved staircases and winterized the front glassed in porch replacing newspaper insulation dated from 1914. The house itself was originally built in the 1890’s. One unique feature of the house is it’s close location to the waterfront, allowing Harvey to move his windsurfers via wheeled cart to the beach for quick launching. He also took advantage of the trails and rollerbladed for years.
Being a Toronto native, his love for watching the Blue Jays, the Maple Leafs, Raptors, and the Argos was deep rooted. A highlight of most of our trips to visit Dad included a trip to SkyDome to catch a game. He even got to attend a Raptors game in the AC Centre.
Another love of Harvey’s that should not go unmentioned is his profound love of Jazz. He listened to Jazz FM from morning to night. In the house and in the car, it was an oddity if the music wasn’t playing. In his most recent hospital stay, he found great solace when he had Jazz FM playing on his headphones.
Harvey loved parties, especially when it was in his honor. His birthdays never seemed to end. He loved serving his infamous egg nog at his/our Christmas parties. The backyard was the perfect setting for Jazz Festival parties.
Ivy and Exene will always remember having fun sailing with Harvey and playing exciting games of Triominos. His constant support for their University and College degrees will be carried with them as they work towards their goals. The girls wish it was summer time so they could go on a memorial sail with Nancy, Mum (Sherrill), and Auntie (Adrienne).
Harvey was generous his time and support for his family and friends. He was a patient, sensitive and gentle man who backed away from raised voices and confrontations. Having his daughters living on the west coast was difficult for him but he understood. He enjoyed the phone conversations with his ‘girls’. Most recently we got the whole family together in Victoria and we had a wonderful visit with the girls.
Harvey will be missed by his family and friends. A Celebration of Harvey’s Life, to give him the ‘send off’ that he deserves, will be held on June 5, 2022 at the Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club.
If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.
Fair winds and following seas
