Harvey A. LaBorn was born September 29th, 1922 and passed peacefully on November 28, 2020 at the age of 98. He still had an amazingly clear and strong mind and Hospice allowed his family to spend his last few days sharing good memories.
His accomplishments were many. After completing the 8th grade, he left home at age 12 and rode the rails for 5 years working on farms along the way before meeting his love, Evelyn McPheeters, in Kalispell, MT on Thanksgiving Day, 1939. On May 22nd, 1942 Evelyn and Harvey were married. They made their home in Kenmore, Washington for 72 years. They celebrated their 75th Anniversary before Evelyn passed away in 2018. Harvey enlisted in the Army/Airforce and served from Oct 1942 to Nov 1945 where he learned to weld. After his discharge he began working in the sheet metal trade. During the 74 plus years in good standing with the Sheet Metal Union, he also Volunteered in the VA, 25 years with Kenmore Fire Dept., American Legion, Boy Scouts, scuba diver, worked as a Realtor, worked for property rights, earned an Associate Engineering Certificate, designed, promoted and installed solar energy systems for Alaska and was a self-taught investor.
As a sheet metal worker Harvey worked on the Alaska Pipeline. He was a member of Local Unions 99, 66, 72, and 23. He worked as a foreman on many jobs and was Union President for Fairbanks, Alaska. He used his sheet metal skills along with his own inventor ideas in developing some of the early solar projects and headed up the beginning of solar energy in Alaska. He worked with heating and roofing on the King Dome, Seattle Coliseum, Boeing plant, Nike Site, and University of Washington plus many projects in Alaska and one on Midway Island.
Harvey and Evelyn had many birthday and Anniversary picnics at their home in Kenmore where former neighbors and extended family came to celebrate with them. They always enjoyed visits from family and shared their home with several of the grandchildren at various times.
Harvey is survived by two sons and two daughters and was preceded in death by a third son in 1975. He is also survived by one sister living in Indiana, 10 of 11 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Harvey’s ashes will be place along with Evelyn’s at the Mt Tahoma National Cemetery in Auburn, Washington. A memorial is planned for May at the American Legion in Bothell but an exact date has not yet set.
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