John R. Harvey, age 84, of Little Falls Village, Wilmington, DE, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family, on August 25, 2019.
Son of Pauline and John William Harvey (both educators), John graduated from Savannah High School (where his mother was one of his teachers) in Savannah, Missouri in 1953 and attended the University of Missouri where he graduated in 1957 with an Agricultural Journalism degree. In 1961, he married Carol Joy Freeman, also a University of Missouri graduate.
John worked at the Savannah Reporter and at several agricultural publications, including Successful Farming in Des Moines, Reiman Publishing in Milwaukee, and Farm Journal in Philadelphia. He joined the DuPont Company’s Agrochemicals Division in 1976. That same year, he was the managing editor for the Department of Agriculture’s special edition Bicentennial Yearbook of Agriculture. During his tenure as president of the American Agricultural Editors’ Association, he met with four U.S. Presidents.
After 16 years with DuPont, John started his own business, Classic Tractor Fever, a company that was a labor of love, celebrating antique tractors and the farmers who drive them. His antique tractor videos, calendars, TV shows, and playing cards were enjoyed by thousands of fellow antique tractor lovers. He wrote three books on tractors and farming, won several awards for his farm-related articles, and became known as “Mr. Tractor” in farming circles.
John was a longtime active and devoted member of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Wilmington, Delaware. He was an active member of his fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, and served on its Board of Directors. He also served eight years in the U.S. National Guard.
John Harvey is survived by his beloved wife, Carol, and their three children: Dave Harvey of Oak Hill, Virginia; Dan Harvey of Ellicott City, Maryland; and Jen Lee of Greenville, Delaware. He is also survived by his sister, Donna Hillyer of Shenandoah, Iowa and five grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church or Delaware Hospice.
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