Harvey G. Harper in his office at Harper Motors earlier this year. He died Tuesday night.
This article appears in The Creepy Carson.
Heidi Walters worked as a staff writer at the North Coast Journal from 2005 to 2015. More by Heidi Walters
Did Not Shirk Work
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I never met Harvey Harper. But I’m told that he was a person who always remembered your name even if he didn’t know you, even if he’d met you just once.
Harvey was a truly great man who gave to the community in so many ways. The one my kids love the most is having a carousel to ride on for free. They were always excited to go get an oilchange, but only if I went to Harpers.
Rest in peace Harvey. He was a fine man, a gentleman and a friend. My life and the life of many others was enriched by him.
I remember he would always come by the waiting room and say hi to everyone. Very friendly man.
Mr. Harper was a very creative man, too. Yes, his television commercials may have appeared as lame, dorky, cornball, cheesy, mawkish, trite, hackneyed, unsophisticated and banal, but Harvey was so keenly aware of this and stressed this kind of self-deprecating humor in a manner that worked so well. In my line of work, many business owners would stress, “I don’t want a Harvey Harper-style ad” for their own television commercials. Ha! That meant the ads worked! He had the success to prove it. He believed in the adage, it’s not whether they are talking good or bad about you, as long as they are talking about you.
In that sense, I respected the man.
Cross Over the Bridge, Mr. Harper!
I worked for Harvey Harper just before he turned over the dealership to Trevor. It was a very emotional moment when he gathered all the employees (over 100) to announce his “retirement” (which we all knew was symbolic – he could never stop working). It was a historic moment and I’m glad I could be there.
My politics were about as directly opposed to Harvey’s as you get, but I have such respect for him as a man, a business leader and community member. He was the real deal and he’s one of the last of his kind. He knew EVERY customer by name, shook everyone’s hand and looked them in the eye when he talked to them. I’ll bet he’s schmoozing, shaking hands, telling jokes and slapping backs in heaven right now. Rest in peace, Harvey!