Harvey L. Heath

Harvey L. Heath, age 83, died on Wednesday, March 25, at Wesbury United Methodist Community. He was the son of the late Laura (Freund) Heath and Glenn Heath. "Herk" as he was most frequently known, was born in Meadville on June 14, 1931, and was a 1949 graduate of Meadville High School. He graduated from Wittenberg University in 1953, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He received his Master's degree from Edinboro State Teachers College in 1961, having done additional graduate work in political science at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Temple University in Philadelphia. He was a veteran of the peacetime Army from1954 to1956, having served with the 521st Military Intelligence Company in Nurnberg, Germany. He was a member of the Crawford County Historical Society and Crawford Lodge No. 234 Free and Accepted Masons of Meadville and the Valley of Coudersport Consistory, Coudersport, Pa. He had been active in Crawford County Democratic politics, having served as committeeman and a member of the executive board of the Crawford County Democratic Party. His teaching career began in Brocton, New York, in 1960, teaching history, English, and geography. In August of 1962 he joined the faculty of Edinboro State Teachers College (now EUP), retiring from there as an Emeritus Professor of Political Science in December of 1991. He was elected and served as chairman of Edinboro's government study commission authorized by Pennsylvania's limited Constitutional Convention in 1968 "allowing municipalities to exercise Home Rule powers or to change to one of several optional plans of local government." The voters of Edinboro adopted a Home Rule Charter in 1974, the first municipality to do so in Erie County. In addition to spending time with his family, his interests included hunting, fishing, golf, vegetable gardening, and devotion to Ohio athletic and sport teams: Ohio State football, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cleveland Indians. Upon retirement he spent at least a week almost every year at his beloved Cleveland Indians spring training camps in Winterhaven, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona. Preceding him in death were his parents and his loving wife of 33 years, Nancy J. Heath in 2002, and a step-son Michael W. Gratson in 2001. Survivors include three step-children: James R. Gratson and his wife Eileen Dolan and two step-grandchildren Gavin Gratson and Kate Gratson; Sandra L. Longenecker and her husband Rick and step-grandchild John Longenecker; and David A. Gratson and his wife Gloria Kratz. Additional survivors include a brother-in-law and sister-in-law by marriage, and two nieces and one nephew. There will be no public viewing. Any memorial contributions can be made to the Luther V. Hendricks Memorial Scholarship, University Advancement, Edinboro University, Edinboro, PA 16412 or to a charity of the donors' choice. Condolences may be placed on his online guestbook at hatheway-tedesco.com Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hatheway-Tedesco Funeral Home & Crematory, 614 Baldwin Street, Meadville, PA 16335.