Obituary:

ELYRIA CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Elyria, Lorain Co., OH—Wednesday, 23 January 2002

AMHERST—Harvey E. Alford, 77, of Amherst, died Tuesday [January 22] at New Life Hospice Residential Center in Lorain following a brief illness.

           Born in Ashtabula, he had been a resident of Amherst since 1947. He graduated from Ashtabula High School in 1941 as class salutatorian where he was a member of the National Honor Society and lettered in football, basketball, and track. During high school, he was a member of Boy Scout Troop 05, where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and also served as assistant scoutmaster for several years. He attended Hiram College for two years before serving the U.S. Navy during World War II.

           Mr. Alford attended Midshipman's School, where he was commissioned ensign in the Naval Reserve in 1945. He taught celestial navigation and dead reckoning to potential LCI(L) skippers and underwent small boat training prior to the invasion of Japan. He served as first lieutenant at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Guam where he was in charge of a group of Chamorro Security Guards, the base electricians, carpenters, and general work details.

           After the war, he returned to Hiram, graduated with honors and received his bachelor's degree in 1947 with majors in chemistry and mathematics and minors in physics and physical education. He was elected to Hiram Colleges' Athletic hall of Fame and served four years on the Alumni Board of Trustees.

           Mr. Alford was employed in the research department of the Standard Oil Company as a research associate for 35 years before taking early retirement in 1982. During this time, he was the author of more than 40 U.S. patents and dozens of technical papers given before national meetings of professional societies. In 1977, he became a charter member of Sohio's Investor's Hall of Fame. He developed micro balloons, microscopic hollow hole-free spheres of glass that have been used on research submarines, on LEM moon explorers, and as a coating on stealth bombers and on the hull of one of the America's Cup Sailboat entries. Also while working for Sohio Research, he designed, built, and successfully operated three pilot plants and one semi-commercial plant and earned his master's degree from Western Reserve University in 1952.

           Harvey Alford was an accomplished photographer and acquired over 12,000 slides during his travels with his wife throughout the United States and Canada. He shared these slides with the residents of Anchor Lodge Assisted Living Center in the form of 45-minute travelogues on a weekly basis since 1992. He also had presented more extensive travelogues at Amherst Public Library for the past six years.

           He was a member of St. Peter's Church of Christ in Amherst. He was a 50 -year member of the American Chemical Society and was on the Board of Directors of the Amherst Community Chest.

           Survivors include his daughter, Mary Alford of New York, son, Robert, of Amherst, and two granddaughters.

           His wife of 44 years, Yvonne McQueen Alford, in 1991, and his parents, Leon and Clara Dibell Alford, preceded him in death.

           Funeral services were held at Garland-Misencik Funeral Home, 851 Park Avenue, Amherst. A private interment was held at Brownhelm Cemetery, Vermilion.