Roger Alan Harvey, 68, Mountain Grove, passed away on Friday, August 13, 2021, at Ozark Health Care in West Plains, MO, of complications resulting from a septic infection and kidney failure. He was born on March 09, 1953, in New Castle, IN, to Gerald and Flora Harvey. He was raised in Sulphur Springs, IN and graduated from Shenandoah High School in Middletown in 1971.
He then joined the U.S. Navy, serving as Engine-man Class A for the Coastal River Squadron One at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in San Diego, CA. While there, Roger’s son Chad was born to him and his wife, Sharon Lee Harvey. In June of 1972 Roger received a Letter of Commendation from his commander for his quick-witted response to a runaway engine aboard their craft. Before emergency shutdown procedures had time to stop the engine, Roger risked his life by entering the engine compartment, removing the injector rack cover, the injector rack itself, and the axle. This immediately brought the engine to a stop and saved the craft and crew from imminent danger. When his father died suddenly later that summer, Roger was released via compassionate discharge from the service and returned with his wife and son to Indiana where he helped his mother finalize pending affairs from his father’s business. He then went on to earn an Associate Degree in Machine Tool Technology from Indiana Vocational Technical College (Ivy Tech) in 1978.
Roger was employed by Ontario Corporation in Muncie as a welder until December 1979, when he suffered a near-fatal gunshot wound which left him quadriplegic. He received life-saving treatment and rehabilitation services at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, and after several months was able to live on his own in an apartment complex built especially for spinal cord injured people. There he met Carolyn Nunn, a care-giver for another resident of the complex, and the two fell in love and married on May 23, 1982.
The newlyweds spent a couple of months touring and camping throughout the Southwestern portion of the US, and while visiting San Diego decided to rent an apartment there. They lived in Southern California for over a year before deciding to move back to the midwest to look for property they could afford for their permanent home. In early 1986 they settled on their small farm near Mountain Grove, MO, close to Carolyn’s childhood home and near several of her family members. While Carolyn worked as a paraprofessional in a school for severely handicapped children, Roger began driving himself to and from Springfield, MO, to attend Missouri State University. He earned his Bachelors Degree in 1998, and planned to begin graduate studies, but health issues prevented this; so he and Carolyn enjoyed the next several years enjoying life on their farm. They raised many animals, including sheep, calves, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, and a donkey (George). They gardened, and froze or canned any extra produce that they didn’t eat or give away.
Declining health issues continued to follow Roger over the years, and in July, 2021, he was admitted to Ozark Health Care with serious complications from systemic sepsis, from which he did not survive.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents and parents-in-law. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife Carolyn of the home; his son Chad (Katie) of Houston, TX; his stepson Steven Romero of Atlanta, GA; his stepdaughters Kimmel (Jeremy) Bracher of Louisville, KY, and Penelope (Rick Ramsey) Romero of Leawood, KS; his grandsons Ethan Harvey and Ty Crisp; his granddaughters Olivia Harvey and Savannah Crisp; his sisters Joyce (Junior) Flynn and Beverlee Craft; many brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.
Arrangements for his virtual memorial service are pending, and his final resting place will be in Denlow Cemetery.
