Thomas S. Harvey

From the time Tom was a child he demonstrated amazing powers of commitment and focus. Absorbing the intense training his father gave him in baseball, basketball and life, Tom could always be found with a basketball or his weighted bat wherever he went. As a teenager he continually sought out theological discussions with his Jesuit ìuncleî and questioned everything.

Graduating from East Meadow High School in 1963 (NY), Tom lettered in soccer, basketball and baseball and made the Nassau All County First Team in baseball. Later in life he was inducted into the EMHS Wall of Fame. At SUNY Fredonia Tom was voted to the All State SUNY baseball First Team in 1965. From 1967 on he played semi-pro basketball for Pagano Ford, helping to win the Etchabrook Tournament in Toronto in 1970. An avid player of baseball and fast pitch softball all of his life, Tom was inducted into the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame for his phenomenal catching, consistent hits and abiding belief that his team could always win.

Earning a BS and a MS in mathematics from SUNY Fredonia in 1968 and 1971, Tom also founded the Philosophical Society in 1965 and worked as a researcher on Beneficent Euthanasia by Dr. Marvin Kohl published in 1975. Tom went on to teach young people for the next 35 years. With discipline, humor and the belief that you can do almost anything if you are willing to work hard, Tom inspired students at Fredonia High School from 1969 to 2000. His passionate advocacy for and belief in FHS students helped many of them go further than they believed possible. A surprising number of his students went on to become math teachers themselves.

Filled with boundless energy, a gift for teaching and superior sports skills, Tom leveraged his infl uence with students by coaching. He first demanded good academic performance, then in return, he always gave h is players his full attention and commitment.

Tom coached the Chadakoin League Boys Basketball in 1970-71. Every boy who tried out made the cut and played every game. They learned a philosophy — as one player wrote that influenced their approach to life, and their ultimate success. Tom coached FHS Girls Varsity Basketball from 1975 to 1979 leading them to the Section VI Championship Game in 1979. With colleague John Ames, Tom also coached the FHS Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Team from 1982 to 1983. For 30 years he opened the gym to students every

morning and played alongside them, only stopping with retirement.

A devoted husband, son, brother, father and grandfather, Tom is survived by his wife, Deborah Kinney, whom he married on November 17, 2012; daughter, Katherine Peters (Mark) of Canton GA; son, Kevin of Brockpor t; and stepdaughter, Alair Micocci of New York. Also surviving are grandchildren, Niki Peters, and Finnegan and Cooper Harvey. Other survivors include siblings Edmund (Eleanor) Harvey of Lakewood and Joanne (Scott) Gosert of Webster; and so many well-loved nieces, nephews, friends and students. Tom’s dear brother, Gary of Allegany, passed recently and is survived by his wife, Betsy.

Memorial donations may be made to The FHS Alumni Scholarship Fund via Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation at 212 Lake Shore Drive West, Dunkirk, NY 14048 or nccfoundation.org. Funeral arrangements are private.