Harvey Francis Houck's Obituary
Harvey F. Houck, WWll Veteran, Civil Engineer, Train Enthusiast
Harvey (Harv) F. Houck, 100, of Lewes DE, passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 28th, 2023, at the Delaware Veterans Home, Milford DE. Born August 3, 1923, in Huntington, WV, Harvey grew up in Elmira, NY, the first son of the late Harvey Sr. and Irma Walker Houck.
Growing up, Harvey took part in LJ Houck & Sons Dairy, the family business. In 1943 at 19 years old he entered the service. Serving from 1943 -1946 in the US Army 648th Engineer Topographic Battalion eventually stationed in Manila on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In the final months of the war in the Pacific, he was preparing maps for the invasion of Japan.
After his service in WWll, Harvey obtained a degree in Civil Engineering from Cornell University and became a professional licensed engineer. He worked on many projects from small to massive including the Niagara Falls power generation program. He eventually transitioned to managing construction projects all over the world for United Shoe Machinery (USM), Black & Decker and Emhart. In 1955 while working in Waterbury CT, Harvey met his wife Elaine at a jazz concert (both shared a lifelong love of music). They married in 1956 and started a family. Harvey retired in the 1980’s from the Emhart Corp. after many years of managing their worldwide real estate holdings.
Through the 60’s to the end of the 90’s they resided in Massachusetts and Connecticut. 1999 brought a cross country move to Southern California to be closer to their son. They returned to the east coast in 2006 settling in Lewes DE. Harvey and Elaine had great times and experiences on their road trips, enjoying the people they’d meet and places they’d experience. They also enjoyed many international trips to Europe, train tours and cruises all over the world. All their homes were impeccably landscaped due to Elaine’s designs and Harvey’s construction skills. Their outdoor areas included multiple gardens, multi-level brick or timber patios, intricate wood decks, stone walls, fountains, Koi ponds, etc.
Throughout his entire life, Harvey has had a passion for railroads and trains. He received his first Lionel train set in 1927 when he was 4 years old. From model trains to full size railroading, he was a living encyclopedia of all things rail related. Even in his 90’s he was still attending many model and steam events across the country. He made many friends along the way and has been featured in numerous train publications over the years due to his nine plus decades of rail knowledge.
Like many of his generation Harvey had a very upbeat, giving, and optimistic attitude. He took a genuine interest in everyone he met. He enjoyed helping others and volunteered his professional engineering skills many times to the local city governments of the communities he lived in. Right up until the age of ninety he was assisting other seniors in getting their taxes completed. 2023 at age 99 was the first time he had assistance getting his taxes completed.
Harvey entered the DE Veterans Home in Milford in 2023. On August 3, the staff put together an incredible 100th birthday/ 80th Army anniversary celebration. An eighty plus vehicle motorcade, multiple state senators issuing state proclamations in his honor, US Army representatives, multiple veterans and vet organizations, friends, family, and staff took part in the event. Harvey mentioned every day for the remainder of his life how touched he was by everyone’s efforts and the number of people that joined in the celebration with him.
Harvey was predeceased by his parents and younger brother William Houck. The remaining family to celebrate his legacy are his wife of 67 years Elaine, son Jeff, daughter -in- law Cathy, Cousin Mary and nieces Allegra and Kim.
The family is grateful for the care and compassion Harvey received at the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford DE.
Chapel committal services with military honors will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, May 2,2024 at the Sussex Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro DE 19966.
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