Harvey E. Nightingale
February 1, 1926 - March 15, 2013
Obituary
HARVEY E. NIGHTINGALE
February 1, 1926 –March 15, 2013
Harvey E. Nightingale is one of the finest examples of this country’s “greatest generation.”
Harvey was the second of eight children born to Ella and Benjamin Nightingale in rural Harvey County, Kansas. Life on a farm during the Great Depression, shocking wheat by hand in the blistering Midwestern heat and inching hand-over-hand along a rope leading to the barn during blizzards to milk the cows, was just the beginning of the hard work Harvey would undertake in his 87 years. He may not have always liked what he did, but he always did what needed to be done and, whenever possible, he interjected a bit of humor to lighten the task.
At Halstead High School, Harvey was an excellent student meriting membership in the National Honor Society and served as class president his senior year. He excelled at sports while playing quarterback, fullback on offense, and safety on defense in football, throwing javelin and running the half mile and mile in track. It was also in high school where he fell in love with Helen Schriver, a “city girl” from the small rural town of Halstead, Kansas, who eventually became his wife of 62 years.
When his country called, Harvey, without hesitation, enlisted in the Army and at 18 found himself defending his country in the WWII Asiatic Pacific Campaign. With the 77th Infantry Division and later the 187th Airborne, Harvey was an infantryman, paratrooper, and sharp shooter who quickly rose to the level of Sergeant First Class. He was one of the 204 men from the 77th Infantry involved in the surprise night attack on Ishimi Ridge on the Japanese Island of Okinawa. After three days in a fox-hole, cut off from US troops and under enemy attack, Harvey was one of the 48 men to make it out alive and uninjured. Harvey was also active in the Philippine Liberation and the Occupation of Japan. For his military contributions, Harvey received the following honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Presidential Unit Citation, and Army Good Conduct.
After the war, Harvey earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University, married his high school sweetheart, Helen, and started a family. His engineering career began with a construction company laying pipe in Pennsylvania, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, and Wyoming. During this time, he traveled a great deal and moved his family to exciting places like Texas and Utah. In 1960, he began a nearly 30 year career with the Boeing Company first in Wichita, Kansas, and then transferring to Seattle, Washington in 1964. Harvey retired as an executive managing engineer.
Not one to sit around, upon his retirement, Harvey joined the Seattle Washington US Coast Guard Auxiliary where he thoroughly enjoyed teaching sailing and water safety classes to the public and participating in rescue operations. He also became a captain with the Seattle Flotilla 22, volunteering his time and the use of his MacGregor 26 sailboat for training, patrols, and rescue operations.
Throughout his life Harvey was a deeply religious man. He was raised in the First Mennonite Church and later became active in the First United Methodist Church. Amongst his greatest pleasures and accomplishments was researching and writing about events and geographic details of the biblical world for his Senior Bible Study class. The importance of supporting those less fortunate than himself was evidenced by his many charitable gifts.
Of most significance are the gifts of love and security Harvey gave to his family. It was of paramount importance that he provide for his wife and children. He nurtured each of his children Marc, Jim, Karen and Trish and instilled in each the importance of family, love, education, integrity, a strong work ethic, and an appreciation for the great outdoors. Harvey was a devoted husband and father, who even at the end didn’t want to leave his family. We know he is in a better place now, free of pain, and enjoying the company of his son Marc, brothers and best friends Chappy and Wilber, sister Vivian, his parents Ben and Ella, and the others who have gone before him.
Harvey is survived by his wife, Helen Nightingale; sisters Joanne (Robert) Cohen, Della Mae Walker; brothers, John Nightingale and Robert (Betty) Nightingale; son Jim (Jennifer) Nightingale; daughters Karen Meranda and Trish Nightingale (Scott Henderson); grandchildren Alex (Rich) Proszek, Kenzie (Nick) Nightingale Caum, Hannah Meranda, Ben Nightingale, and Marguerite and Josephine Henderson; and great-grandchildren Nick and Andrew Proszek.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in memoriam in Harvey Nightingale’s name to either: The Disabled American Veterans (www.davorg; DAV Memorial Program, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301; 1-877-426-2838 EXT 340); or the Kansas State University Foundation (Kansas State University Foundation, 2323 Anderson Ave., Suite 500, Manhattan, KS 66502-2911).
Didn’t know him. Just saw his obit in the paper. Quite a life. My prayers and condolences.
Happy Easter to the family.
I know Harvey will be misssed. I enjoyed talking with him at the famly reunions over the years. What a great guy he was! I am so sad for his loss but know he’s in a wonderful place now! My sympathy goes out to Helen & kids.
My heart and love goes out to all of you at this time of
sadness. Having just lost my own dear husband, Don,
one of the many Halstead special people who were of
the ‘Greatest Generation”, they were the best of the best.
I’ll always remember Harvey with a smile on his face and
always ‘a happy to see you folks’, what a guy! How
lucky we were to have them.
What a man! What a life! It is clear that he brought joy and meaning to many throughout his years of service to the country and as a husband and father.
From this family, I know only his daughter Trish, and I know she will carry on her father’s legacy of kindness, service, and integrity.
Peace to all of you who knew and loved him,
Kathrynm
Very nice!