Obituary of James J. Harvey

James Joseph Harvey, Wyalusing, passed away peacefully, on January 20, 2022, at the Gardens in Tunkhannock, where he had been a resident since November 2021. Born in Lemon on August 10, 1938, he was the son of the late Cyril Harvey and Amy Buckingham Jayne. Jim graduated from Tunkhannock Area High School in 1956. He enlisted in the Army in 1957. He completed a radar repair course at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey and was the Honor Graduate of the class. He was stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where he completed a key personnel course which was taught by the companies that were developing the HAWK Missile System. During his career in the service, he became a radar repair instructor and later wrote manuals, lesson plans and guides on how to troubleshoot and repair the control system of the HAWK Missile System. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1960 and soon after he went to work at IBM in Owego, New York, as a technical writer. He wrote maintenance and repair manuals which the Air Force utilized to troubleshoot and repair the electronic systems that were used to control navigation and bombing in the B-52 Bomber. He later worked on cost estimating, budgeting and planning for new programs as the work was being done. He received numerous awards and commendations during his distinguished career at IBM. Jim taught himself to play the guitar and played in a country music band nights and weekends. He loved baseball. He was a huge Yankees fan and played on a softball team while living on the Owego. Upon retirement, Jim moved to Pennsylvania, to be closer to his family. He loved the outdoors and became an avid gardener, maintaining extensive vegetable and flower gardens on his property. He loved to fish and metal detect with his brothers and friends. Most recently he enjoyed going to yard sales with his sisters, always looking for used computers which he would refurbish and then give away to his family, friends or anyone that needed one. Jim will be greatly missed by the family and friends that he left behind. We never heard him say an unkind word about anyone, he was personable and friendly, liked to joke and was very well-respected throughout the community. Jim is survived by his daughter, Linda and husband, Gordon Weatherly; granddaughter, Rashael Stroud; grandson, Adam Weatherly; great granddaughters, Haylie Stroud and Landrey Stroud, all of Texas. In addition, he is survived by sisters, Blennie and husband, Gary Saylor, Marge and husband, Michael Brown, Helen and husband, Gary King; sister-in-law, Judy Harvey and Iva Harvey, many nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by brothers, Roger, Thomas and Cyril “Joe” Harvey. Interment with full military honors will be held at Sunnyside Cemetery, Tunkhannock, in the spring. Arrangements and care entrusted to Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home, Inc., 73 W. Tioga St. Tunkhannock, PA 18657.