Henry A. Harvey
02 March 1925 - 02 November 1993

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Harvey, Henry A.

Harvey, Henry A., 68, retired television and radio personality and Cochran Mortuary counselor, died Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1993.

Services 10 a.m. Thursday, Northridge Friends Church, Wichita; 3:30 p.m., Quaker Valley Cemetery, Riverton.

Survivors: wife, Juanita; son, Michael of Wichita; daughter, Sylvia of Minneola; brother, William of Evergreen, Colo.; two grandchildren.

Memorials have been established with Northridge Friends Church and Evangelical Friends International c/o Mid-America Yearly Meeting of Friends. Cochran Mortuary.

Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: November 3, 1993
Edition: CITY
Page: 2D

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HENRY HARVEY, ROLE MODEL FOR WICHITA KIDS, DIES AT 68

In many ways, Henry Harvey was the voice of Wichita. His character, Freddy Fudd, charmed young television viewers with a folksy tone. His bass singing voice added depth and meaning to weddings, funerals and church services. And his deep, belly laugh, heard only in December, reminded children for three generations that Santa Claus would soon be making his rounds.

Mr. Harvey, longtime Wichita broadcaster and professional singer, died early Tuesday. He was 68.

"He was the star when I came here," said Larry Hatteberg, KAKE, Ch. 10, news anchor and longtime photojournalist. That was 30 years ago, when stations still had a lot of local programming. Much of the programming was aimed at children, and Mr. Harvey's Freddy Fudd, described as the uncle of cartoon character Elmer Fudd, was among the most popular.

Hatteberg was surrounded by children's heroes at KAKE in those days. Dusty Herring, "Deputy Dusty," was there, as were John Froome, "The Old Cobbler," and Bill McLean, "Cap'n Bill."

"All of those early people of that era were children's television in Wichita," Hatteberg said. "They were why we watched KAKE. I grew up with them, and then I was working with them."

To Hatteberg, Mr. Harvey stood out among the others as a moral man who took seriously his position as role model for children. "He'd have little messages in his shows. He taught morals. He wasn't preachy or heavy-handed, but you knew." And when he assumed another character, Mr. Harvey assumed it completely, Hatteberg said: "One time, he came in in his Freddy Fudd costume, and I called him 'Henry.' He looked at me with a look that said I'd messed up."

For years, Mr. Harvey was associated with Santa Claus, the one who appeared on local television between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Though he acknowledged arranging personal appearances for Santa since 1948, Mr. Harvey never revealed his exact relationship to the jolly old elf who appeared on KAKE; KWCH, Ch. 12; and, finally, KSAS, Ch. 24.

Officials at KSAS said that they had planned to meet Tuesday with a potential sponsor of "Santa's Workshop," anticipating another season.

Bob Walterscheid, a film and video producer and head of Walterscheid Productions in Wichita, said he was shocked when he heard about Mr. Harvey's death.

"I talked with him a couple of weeks ago, and we were talking about another project," he said.

Walterscheid and Mr. Harvey were partners in a 35-minute video, "Santa Claus and the True Meaning of Christmas," released in 1989. Since then, about 5,000 copies have been sold, Walter-scheid said.

Like many other native Wichitans, Terri Phifer considers Mr. Harvey part of the fabric of her childhood. As a funeral director at Cochran Mortuary, she also knew Mr. Harvey because he often sang solos at funerals. And, for the past five years at Cochran, he helped people plan their funerals.

"He was an absolutely delightful person," said Phifer, her voice cracking. "It's hard for me to say 'was'; I'll have to change my way of thinking. He was a very gentle person, and a loving person."

Former colleague Hatteberg would like to think that the gentle, loving spirit didn't die with the man.

"I think if Henry Harvey could come back in another life, he'd come as Santa Claus," Hatteberg said. "And he'd be a darned good one."

Mr. Harvey is survived by his wife, Juanita; a son, Michael, of Wichita; a daughter, Sylvia, of Minneola; a brother, William, of Evergreen, Colo.; and two grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Northridge Friends Church, 2655 Bullinger, and 3:30 p.m. at Quaker Valley Cemetery in Riverton.

Memorials have been established with Northridge Friends Church and with Evangelical Friends International, in care of Mid-America Yearly Meeting of Friends, 2018 Maple, Wichita, Kan. 67213.

Wichita Eagle, The (KS)
Date: November 3, 1993
Edition: CITY
Page: 1A

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United States Social Security Death Index

First Name: Henry
Middle Name: A
Last Name: Harvey
Name Suffix:
Birth Date: 2 March 1925
Death Date: 2 November 1993
Estimated Age at Death: 68

Social Security Number:
Place of Issuance: Kansas
Last Residence: Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Zip Code of Last Residence: 67213

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First Name: Sylva
Middle Name: J
Last Name: Harvey
Name Suffix:
Birth Date: 16 January 1928
Death Date: 15 October 1997
Estimated Age at Death: 69

Social Security Number:
Place of Issuance: Kansas
Last Residence: Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Zip Code of Last Residence: 67213

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Thanks to #48224783 (#48224783) for linkages:

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Family links:

Parents:
# 27038023 Walter Jesse Harvey (1903 - 1969)
# 27037882 Mary Leota Cagle Harvey (1906 - 1991)

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