Ronald Harvey

Ronald Harvey of Portage, MI., passed away May 8, 2024, leaving his beloved wife Louise J. (Bauer) Harvey, his family of four children, eight grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. Ron was born January 31, 1930 in Kalamazoo, the oldest son of Loree and Lois Harvey. In 1948, he graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, attended Kalamazoo College and graduated in 1952 from Northwestern University with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He was a member of the NU marching band and Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity. Ron and Louise were married December 21, 1952 after which Ron served for four years in the U.S. Navy as a Deck and Ordinance Officer on the USS San Marcos (LSD 25) during the Korean Conflict. In 1956, Ron joined his father as a third generation agent with Equitable Life Insurance Company, earning the company's top awards for forty consecutive years. In 1980, Ron was selected as the recipient of the Equitable's prestigious Hall of Honor. In addition to being a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He earned his Chartered Life Underwriter degree in 1962 and his Chartered Financial Consultant degree in 1968. He was one of the initial dual licensed Reps in the area, able to sell and service mutual funds and life insurance concurrently. As owner of Harvey Financial Services for 40 years, Ron retired in 1996, succeeded by his friend and business partner, Jerry D. Hoover. Ron was an active member and officer of many community groups, including the Kalamazoo Jaycees, United Way, the Exchange Club, Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, the Kalamazoo and the Michigan Association of Life Underwriters, Kalamazoo Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters, and the Kalamazoo Experimental Aircraft Association. Ron was a 50 year member of the YMCA, playing for a decade on the Y's traveling Power Volleyball team. He enjoyed racing his Hobie Cat and often crewed for others in Gull Lake sailboat racing. For 70 years Ron was an active member of Kalamazoo's First United Meth-odist Church, serving as a Youth Counselor, as a baritone in the choir, and in various official capacities, including Chairman of Building and Grounds. Until his death he has been an active member of the Portage United Church of Christ. Since his 1996 retirement, Ron was a volunteer for 24 years at the Kalamazoo Airzoo as a Docent for 18 years, specializing in the history of the SR-71B and for 7 years helping restore vintage war planes in the Restoration Campus. Louise and Ron enjoyed family camping, traveling with all four children, Linda, Fred, Tom and Bill throughout the lower 48 states while they were young. Louise and Ron traveled multiple times to many European countries, Mexico, the Canadian Rockies, the Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands. They especially enjoyed their year 'round home on beautiful Wolf Lake, Baldwin, MI that they built in 1969 near popular ski resorts and the Manistee National Forest. Ron enjoyed snowmobiling, quadding, and summer water activities including sailing his Hobie Cat, Personal Watercraft, Ski Boat and Pontoon boats. His hobbies were playing his Home Theater Organ, playing his computer Flight Simulator and watching college TV sport competition. Preceded in death by his parents and his brother R. King Harvey, he is survived by his wife Louise, his sister, Betty L. Knudson of Portage; daughter, Linda (Dave) Holzwarth, Portage; three sons, Fred (Kristin) of Cincinnati, OH; Tom, Kalamazoo; Bill (Pam) of Concord, NC, and grandchildren Amanda (Taylor) Carman, Stacy (Andrew)Heisler, Scott (Stephanie) Holzwarth, Jessica (Charles) Ernst, Melissa (Tucker) Rubino, Jenny (Hunter) Thompson, Morgan (Brian) Todd, Ryan Harvey, sixteen great grandchildren and several dear cousins, nieces and nephews. As Ron has requested, cremation has taken place and interment will be in the family's section at Kalamazoo's Mountain Home Cemetery. A memorial service will be announced later. Memorials may be made in Ron's name to Portage United Church of Christ or the Kalamazoo AirZoo. Please share memories of Ron with his family at www.langelands.com