Harvey McClure II

Gladstone, MI
Harvey “Bear” Ray McClure II, age 75, of Gladstone passed away Wednesday morning, June 8, 2016 unexpectedly at home of natural causes.

Harvey was born September 29, 1940, the son of Harvey and Letha (Bunch) McClure Sr in Pontiac, Michigan. Harvey was very ambitious at an early age and was always ready to earn his own money. At age 8 he started mowing lawns, had a paper route and washed cars at his house. He bought his first bicycle, a Schwinn Phantom with his earnings. He also worked as a caddie at the Bloomfield Hills Golf Course, was a soda jerk at a soda fountain and stocked shelves at the local grocery store. He was granted a drivers license at fourteen and bought his first car at fifteen, a 1950 Ford for $100. He liked custom cars and had a 1952 Ford, a 1952 Pontiac, 1954 Jaguar while in high school. He graduated from Pontiac High School in 1958. He loved football and started playing in sixth grade and continued on in high school as a tight end. He was a big fan of the Detroit Lions and Notre Dame and Michigan Football. He was also a member of the Student Council, sang in the boys glee club and choir and took Miss Michigan to the prom.

It took him many years to receive a degree in Industrial Engineering because he worked and paid for his education himself. He attended Highland Park Junior College, Michigan Christian College, Oakland Community College and Bay de Noc Community College.

His first full time job was a with G.M. Fisher in the engineering department and transferred to Production Central. He left for a job with Consumers Power Company and was a trouble shooting tech on gas fired appliances. In 1978 he moved to Gladstone and worked for Garinger Heating as a service technician, Escan Corporation as a quality control supervisor and at Mead Paper maintaining machinery. He retired in 2003.

Harvey was Vice President of the Pontiac Jaycees and was instrumental in increasing the membership by 90 percent during his term and received the “Man of the Year Award”. He also won the Best Brown Beard Award at the Pontiac Centennial. He was a member of the Barbershoppers in Gladstone for a short time, on the board of the Gladstone Lions Club, a member of the Gladstone Yacht Club for many years, serving one year on the Board of Directors as the Maintenance Director and was involved with United Way Chili Cook Off for many years. He loved going to camp with his friends. His greatest love was golf and he organized a league at Lake Bluff Golf Course known as the “Dirty Dozen”.

Harvey was united in marriage to Diana Parker on November 24, 1990 at the First Lutheran Church. He thought it was “the best thing that ever happened in his life”. They moved to the Lake Bluff Retirement Village in 2005 and he played golf on the course as much as he could and served on the Village Board for many years. He and Diana vacationed in Mexico, Jamaica and many other warm places in the U.S. to get away form the harsh winters. They both enjoyed traveling.

Harvey is survived by his wife, Diana of Gladstone, his son, Michael (Leslie) Haehn of Waterford, MI, his daughter, Kelly; step-sons, Paul (Sue) Parker III of Gladstone, Jonathon Parker of Denver, CO and Robert (Karen) Parker of Sheboygan, WI; grandson, Maxx Haehn, step-grandchildren, Paul IV, Alexis, Rian, Paige and Brett Parker, his sister, Nancy (Harold) Johnson of Tennessee and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, nephew, Steve and many cousins.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, June 14 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Skradski Funeral Home in Gladstone. Funeral services will follow at 5:00 PM at the funeral home with Rev. Nathan Langager officiating. A luncheon will follow at the Gladstone Yacht Club. Harvey will be laid to rest in the Fernwood Cemetery.