Harvey F. Houck, veteran, engineer, train enthusiast
Harvey “Harv” F. Houck, 100, of Lewes, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2023, at the Delaware Veterans Home, Milford. He was born Aug. 3, 1923, in Huntington, W.Va., and grew up in Elmira, N.Y., the first son of the late Harvey Sr. and Irma Walker Houck.
Growing up, Harvey took part in LJ Houck & Sons Dairy, the family business. In 1943, at 19, he entered the service, serving from 1943-46 in the U.S. Army 648th Engineer Topographic Battalion, and eventually stationed in Manila on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In the final months of the war in the Pacific, he was preparing maps for the invasion of Japan.
After his service in WWII, Harvey obtained a degree in civil engineering from Cornell University and became a professional licensed engineer. He worked on many projects from small to massive including the Niagara Falls power generation program. He eventually transitioned to managing construction projects all over the world for United Shoe Machinery, Black & Decker and Emhart. In 1955 while working in Waterbury, Conn., Harvey met his wife, Elaine, at a jazz concert (both shared a lifelong love of music). They married in 1956 and started a family. Harvey retired in the 1980s from the Emhart Corp. after many years of managing its worldwide real estate holdings.
From the ‘60s to the end of the ‘90s, they resided in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1999, they moved across the country to Southern California to be closer to their son. They returned to the East Coast in 2006, settling in Lewes. Harvey and Elaine had great times and experiences on their road trips, enjoying the people they’d met and places they’d visited. They also enjoyed many international trips to Europe, train tours and cruises all over the world. All their homes were impeccably landscaped due to Elaine’s designs and Harvey’s construction skills. Their outdoor areas included multiple gardens, multi-level brick or timber patios, intricate wood decks, stone walls, fountains, and koi ponds.
Throughout his entire life, Harvey has had a passion for railroads and trains. He received his first Lionel train set in 1927 when he was 4. From model trains to full-size railroading, he was a living encyclopedia of all things rail-related. Even in his 90s, he was still attending many model and steam events across the country. He made many friends along the way and has been featured in numerous train publications over the years due to his nine-plus decades of rail knowledge.
Like many of his generation, Harvey had a very upbeat, giving, and optimistic attitude. He took a genuine interest in everyone he met. He enjoyed helping others and volunteered his professional engineering skills many times to the local city governments of the communities he lived in. Right up until 90, he was assisting other seniors in getting their taxes completed. In 2023, when he was 99, it was the first time he had assistance getting his taxes completed.
Harvey entered the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford in 2023. On Aug. 3, the staff put together an incredible 100th birthday/80th Army anniversary celebration. An 80-plus-vehicle motorcade, multiple state senators issuing state proclamations in his honor, U.S. Army representatives, multiple veterans and vet organizations, friends, family, and staff took part in the event. Harvey mentioned every day for the remainder of his life how touched he was by everyone’s efforts and the number of people who joined in the celebration with him.
Harvey was predeceased by his parents; and younger brother, William Houck. The remaining family to celebrate his legacy are his wife of 67 years, Elaine; son, Jeff; daughter-in-law, Cathy; cousin, Mary; and nieces, Allegra and Kim.
The family is grateful for the care and compassion Harvey received at the Delaware Veterans Home.
A celebration of life with military honors will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro.
Visit Harvey’s Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
