Harvie Loyd Choat
November 21, 1936 - January 18, 2018
Obituary
Harvie, age 81, passed away Thursday January 18, 2018 at home after fighting ALS for 8 years.
He is survived by his wife Jackie, his sister Dolores, daughters Debby Sardeson and Kristi (Brad) Jacobson, grandkids Ashley, Kelsey, Aaron and Nathan, great grandkids Ariana and Isaiah, nieces and nephews, extended family and a host of friends.
Harvie was a lifelong resident of the Seattle area. He loved his home and never wanted to live anywhere else. He met the love of his life, Jackie, in 1954 in Columbia City and they were married in 1958. Together they worked, raised a family and made lifelong friendships with many.
Early on Harvie did what life said he couldn’t. He suffered from terrible motion sickness but he didn’t let that stop him from entering the Air Force, boating and jeep riding. Riding in the back seat of a car and carnival rides were another matter. Harvie was a non-swimmer, even after years of lessons from Jackie, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying trips with the Rockaway Clan, playing in the ocean with the kids.
After retiring from Xerox, Harvie adopted the motto “If you’ve accomplished one thing in a day, you’ve had a good day.” He loved retirement.
He was a homebody, yet enjoyed the trips he and Jackie took. They traveled for work and for pleasure with great friends throughout the states and abroad. He particularly enjoyed the trips the family took to Disney World and Hawaii. Traveling gave him many opportunities to hone his photography skills. He loved electronics and happily encouraged others to spend their money on said electronics.
Jackie, family and friends say he was extremely proud of this family and highly appreciative of his many friends. He had the neatest printing in the world. He had a wicked bowling spin that would pick up a 7-10 split and an awesome third base throwing arm. He loved his grandkids. Harvie was selfless and the first to offer help and would do so at the drop of a hat. He was transparent, principled, loyal, and generous and possessed a quiet (yet wicked) sense of humor.
Despite ALS limiting what he could do, he always welcomed people with a smile that lit up his face and theirs. He will always be the Mayor of Loveridge (sometimes called the Bermuda Triangle) and a proud recipient of the Presbyterian Woman (yes Woman) of the Year Award. The PW loved him.
Special thanks to the ALS teams at Seattle VA and Swedish Hospitals for their wonderful care and to the Paralyzed Veterans for their unparalleled support in all.
There will be no services at Harvie’s request. In lieu of flowers, Harvie can be honored by donations to the ALS Association Evergreen Chapter or Rainier Beach Presbyterian Church.
I am so sorry for your loss. My thought are wish you all.
So many good memories of our family. So fortunate to have them all. Loved all my moments spent at Auntie Jackie and Uncke Harvie’s house. Love you all, Xoxo. “Beanie”.
Love you Harvie!
So many cherished memories that all started with a simple invitation from Harvie and Jackie to play a board game with them one evening. They have taught me how to be a good friend and how important that little gesture of reaching out to others can be in one’s life. Looking forward to each moment spent remembering Harive.
Met Harvie and Jackie thru Dorothy and Allen Hutchinson, became great friends. Will miss Harvie coming to Montana and seeing his face when he had to drive his Audi down a dirt road. Dear friend, will miss him alot.
May the love and happiness you and Harvie shared over the years be a comfort to you and your family. The words mirrored a wonderful life shared. And thank you for sharing the great photos of you and Harvie and your family. I’m sure Harvie was very proud of all of you.
So sorry for your loss. Wishing you peace and comfort in your memories of this wonderful man.
Dear Jackie and family we just heard about Harvie’s passing. He
Was such a nice man. I always enjoyed visiting with him.
You all are in our thoughts and prayers.
I am saddened to hear that Harvie has passed on. He was my boyhood friend. I met him when I was 12 and he was 14.