Edwin Gene Harvill

A memorial celebrating the life of Edwin (Ed) Gene Harvill, 78, will be at noon March 2, 2019, at the Grace Community Church in Potlatch, Idaho. Mr. Harvill died Feb. 18, 2019, at Pullman Regional Hospital.

Born in Pasco, Wash., Sept. 21, 1940, to Ed and Louise (Scheib) Harvill, he moved with his family to Quincy where he graduated from high school in 1957. He attended Eastern Washington University to pursue a teaching degree in industrial education and embarking on a lifelong love of creating toys and furniture out of wood. Ed joined the ROTC program and changed his career path from teaching to the military.

While attending college, he met Donna Daily from Palouse. They were married June 16, 1963, and upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. They went to Fort Knox, Ky., where he attended the Armor Officer basic course and then went to Germany for their first duty assignment. He served two duty tours in Vietnam, a tour in Korea and numerous assignments in the United States. After 23 years of service he retired at Fort Lewis, Wash., as a lieutenant colonel. He then was employed at Pierce County Transit for 19 years.

While serving in Korea, he took up running and soon logged hundreds of miles and completed several marathons. After he could no longer run due to Parkinson's disease, he took up biking and yoga. He had a love of wood-working, gardening with his wife and enjoying life in one place after the family endured 12 moves during his military career. In 2008, they moved to the family farm in Potlatch. He enjoyed the coffee group in Palouse, reading to local elementary children and taking yoga "with the girls." He was active in Presbyterian Church in University Place and the Community Presbyterian Church in Potlatch.

Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in early 1995, he met it head-on with a great attitude and tenacity.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna.

Surviving are his children, Kevin (Sondra) Harvill of Potlatch; Kimberley (Brad) Bettencourt of Boise, and Kurt (Angela) Harvill of Bellingham; three great-grandchildren, and siblings Patricia (Jim) Johnson of Morton and Tom (Gerri) Harvill of Sagle, Idaho.

Memorial donations may be made to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 63, Potlatch, ID 83855.

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