Donald William Harvey

Donald William Harvey was a devoted husband and father who fought hard to stay here with his children & family even until his final day on earth. He was 81 years old when he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family in the quiet evening hours of Thursday, June 22nd, 2023. That week had been rainy, but the Friday following his passing was beautiful & breezy. It was the kind of day you would find Don out on his patio, listening to the latest book in his favorite thriller or suspense series, or watching the Atlanta Braves play while in the company of his two beloved dogs, Murphy & Molly.

Don was preceded in death by his brother, Larry, and more recently, his wife, Ann. This past March would have been Don & Ann’s 60th wedding anniversary. Don is survived by his 7 children: Dawn Baker, Tracy Harvey, Patrick Harvey, Russell Harvey, Shannon Harvey, Alex Harvey, & Kelli Harvey. He also leaves behind 7 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, 2 sisters in law, 2 sons in law, 2 daughters in law, and 2 dogs.

Don had a successful career as a Plant Manager for many years, but where he really shined was in his dedication to his family and to his community through his life-long involvement with the Boy Scouts of America. With 7 children both biological & adopted and over 40 foster children in his home over a 20 year span, there was no shortage of sports, dance, and extracurricular activities to juggle. Don made an effort to attend every one, rarely missing an event for any of his children. He was also involved in his wife’s doll making & volunteer activities for years. He made sure Ann had everything she needed and got wherever she needed to be so she could continue to participate in the activities she loved for as long as possible. Don was affectionately known as the husband and father who always had a book with him, reading quietly while he waited for meetings & practices to finish up, or in between cheering for his kids as they competed in various events.

During weekday evenings and many weekends, Don could be found participating in meetings & camping trips with the Boy Scouts of America. He became an Eagle Scout in 1958 & later served as a Scout Leader for several troops & as Scoutmaster for Troop 506, which his youngest son was a part of. During his 60 years spent involved in scouting as an adult, Don helped many young men in his community achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, including his son, Alex, and grandson, Zachary, both of whom he was incredibly proud of for their accomplishment.

Don retired in 2013 to become a full-time caregiver to his wife and showed us all what it means to be a dedicated partner to your spouse. He set an example of selflessness, caring, & compassion that feels almost unattainable & was truly admirable. While we are deeply saddened not to have our father and friend here with us, we are also comforted to know he has been reunited with Ann. We’ll remember Don as a dedicated father & husband, friend to many, expert in dad jokes, fixer of everything that broke, and person we looked up to, respected, and called when we needed advice on life.  He will be so greatly missed.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, July 15th, 2023 at 2:00 pm in the Chapel of Byrd & Flanigan Funeral Service in Lawrenceville GA. Friends are welcome to arrive starting at 1:00 pm for visitation with the family prior to the service.

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