William H. W. Harvey

William Henry Wayne Harvey of Westerly, R.I., passed away on April 21, 2024, having lived a colorful and storied life. Born on June 18, 1937, to the late Wilmer and Geraldine (Ouelette) Harvey, “Billy” was born and raised in St. Francis, Maine, about as far north as New Englander’s can go sans passport. As was typical for the era, his formative years were spent working the family farm, tending to his younger siblings, going to school, and dreaming of elsewhere.

In 1955 Billy enlisted in the U. S. Army, which took him to Germany where he served three years during the relatively short period of peacetime between the Korean and Vietnam wars. After his military commitment ended, he began a civilian career in which he mastered a variety of trades. He was known for his strong work ethic, earning the title “Wild Bill” for his fearless approach to tackling even the most difficult tasks. He retired from the workforce in the early 2000s, only to find that life would be even busier from that point on.

He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend. He was cool – frequently spotted about town sporting his trademark bomber jacket, Ray-Bans, and Patriots cap. An avid reader, he curated bagfuls of books monthly from various sources, reading as many as three per week. He loved to play cribbage, occasionally throwing games to weaker opponents so that they would continue to play against him. He was obsessively punctual, arriving for appointments an hour before his assigned time and annoyed when they wouldn’t take him in early. He was a minimalist, a challenge for family and friends shopping for birthday and holiday gifts. He loved to “talk shop,” describing in detail the various potential approaches to any project and how he would do it differently. He acknowledged the passing years by counting Patriots Superbowl wins, attributing his longevity to the Patriots’ continued successes on the field. And, despite his team’s fall from grace and a bleak cancer diagnosis 3 ½ years before his passing, he remained hopeful, as evidenced by the stacks of “there’s a winner in here somewhere” lottery tickets he purchased every Tuesday and Friday, and his eagerness to reach his 87th birthday.

Family and friends are invited to join a brief memorial service that will be held at the Rhode Island Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, 301 S County Trail, Exeter, RI on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 11:00 am. A celebration of his life and 87th birthday will be held in Westerly following the memorial service.

Family would like to thank the staff of multiple facilities for their commitment to extraordinary oncology services and eldercare during these last few years: Yale New Haven Health, including Westerly Hospital and the Smilow Cancer Centers in Westerly and Waterford, CT; Providence VA Medical Center; PACE of Westerly; South County Home Health; Westerly Rehabilitation and Health Care; Hope Hospice; and all others who prioritized quality of life from start to finish. The care shown by all involved was extraordinary and appreciated.

For online condolences please visit www.rushlowiacoifuneralhome.com