GBA Update Fall 2024

TRIBUTE

By Freda Klassen, Northern Georgian Bay Association

Harvey O. Mierke Jr. March 3, 1936 – August 16, 2024

It was always a great pleasure to work with Harvey, who was such a reliable advertising manager, while I was UPDATE editor from 2009 to 2014. He was a remarkable, wonderful person and a joy to chat with. We became fast friends. Rupert Kindersley, Former Executive Director and Board Member, GBA “

“

H arvey was my friend, and I loved him.

Harvey’s true love was Georgian Bay, especially his summer cottage on Toad Island, purchased by his father in 1924 in Beaverstone Bay, 18 miles east of Killarney. Harvey began visiting the island in August 1942 at the age of six, travelling by side paddler from Cleveland to Buffalo and then on to Owen Sound via Niagara Falls. Once in Owen Sound, they sailed in an overnight packet steamer, the Manitoulin , north across Georgian Bay to Killarney, through Collins Inlet to Beaverstone Bay. He and his wife, Lorna, always considered Toad Island their home and a cherished retreat where he found peace

This is not only how I felt about Harvey, but I soon learned it was the sentiment of everyone who knew

him. It was abundantly clear at Harvey’s celebration of life on Saturday, September 14, in Cleveland, Ohio, where he had lived all his life. Clever, kind, and courteous, Harvey was known for being a pillar of strength for his family and friends, always ready with a helping hand or a listening ear. He could see the potential in everyone and made them feel valued.

www.georgianbay.ca

GBA UPDATE Fall 2024

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