Harvey Verner Leslie

Harvey Leslie said we leave this world the way we came into it, crying, confused, with a wet bum and a bald head; the only part he managed was the bald head.

Harvey left this world suddenly, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, standing in the galley, still planning his next adventure and trying to figure out some amusement to entertain his friends at their upcoming 100th “Iron Chef” dinner.

Harvey’s parents, Geneva and Olaf, were among the Nova Scotians who emigrated to the gold mines of Northern Ontario. Named after his maternal grandmother, Lily Harvey, Harvey was born in Timmins, Ontario where he grew up with his sisters Elizabeth and Genevieve. He spent his teenage years in Toronto with his beloved Mother after his Father passed away. While there he developed an enduring taste for Kentucky Fried Chicken and earned his papers as a journeyman carpenter.

He found his calling as a young man, as mariner and boat builder, on the coasts of first the Atlantic and then the Pacific Oceans. He trained to become a licensed Shipwright in Lunenburg, while residing in Mahone Bay in a humble seaside cottage, with the flavour of cod and the lilt of east coast music, and where he made lifelong friends and lifelong memories.

Harvey came to a fork in the road – so he took it, the Pacific Coast beckoned and he moved west to Victoria where he worked as a Shipwright at the Dockyard in Esquimalt, British Columbia, which he affectionately called “the big house”. He enjoyed a long and interesting career there; where he loved his work, he loved his office as the file sharpener and he loved his mateys. Harvey loved the Sea and he loved boats, he also loved to curse, as anyone who worked with him can attest to.

Harvey was a prankster who once shaved off the beard on only one side of his face, and then somehow managed to meet a man on the ferry who had shaved off his beard on the other side of his face. When Harvey was facing the prospect of major surgery his biggest concern was not the surgery itself, but was how he could smuggle in a baggage tag with instructions to his surgeon; of course he managed the feat, and while anesthetized brought the entire operating theater to hilarity. Harvey played the guitar, the flute and the keyboard, and unbeknownst to many he sang beautifully when he thought no one was listening. He had a passion for reading, riding his bicycle and watching football. He was a skilled and dedicated craftsman who indulged in flower-arranging, tap dancing and Polish lessons. He delighted in cooking, making cocktails and entertaining his friends with amazing and crazy culinary amusements.

There are too many people in this world to count that Harvey helped; he was kind and generous, he was funny and he possessed a razor sharp wit. Harvey was smart, brave and strong; he had a heart full of love and a head full of mischief.

Harvey is survived and mourned by his wife, Joy – who loved him and laughed with him, who danced with him and cared for him, who cooked with him and dreamt with him, for whom he fought to stay on this earth with everything he had, for every moment he could.

He is survived by his loving sisters, Elizabeth and Genevieve, by his brothers-in-law, Ron and Norman who were his friends; he is survived by his wonderful tribe the “Iron Chefs”, and by so many other friends and mateys. He is survived by his nephew, Shannon, by his nieces, Laura, and Siobhan and her husband, Mark and their son, Thomas Harvey, who carries forward Uncle Harvey’s name and his indomitable spirit.

He is survived by his niece, Emilia, who was the light of his life and the heart of his heart.

And this I believe this to be true, his friend and comrade Michael Z. will be waiting for Harvey, he will pilot the Ship which will take Harvey across the greatest of all oceans and bring him safely to harbour, where Geneva and Olaf, his legendary dead friend Mel (beyond these walls),his dogtors Lion and Nordique, Jerry (who must have smuggled in some rum by now) and Naomi (who has surely made him muffins, because I smell them baking and it brings me peace), are all waiting to greet him with a great cheer.

You will live in our hearts forever Harvey, you will live in our thoughts, and you will live always in your acts of kindness and in your incredible bravery. We who are left behind stand on this shore with broken hearts while you sail away, but on that distant horizon await those whose hearts will be filled with happiness to be reunited with you.

No memorial service at this time – but in Harvey’s honour put on a good song and dance close with someone you love.