It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Harvey Rowland on September 17, 2023 at the age of 78.
Harvey passed away peacefully with his family by his side at the Selkirk hospital after a brief illness.
Harvey is survived by his children Charlene and Devin and his wife Josephine.
Harvey was a quintessential outdoorsman and his love of nature was infused into every aspect of his life and spirituality. He had an enormously kind heart and his compassion and integrity created countless treasured and deep-rooted friendships.
Harvey was born on March 8, 1945 and grew up around Eriksdale and Lundar, Manitoba. As a young man he traveled to British Columbia and worked in the timber mills of Bella Coola for a couple of seasons. He always reflected about the wild beauty of the ecology that he witnessed during that time.
Harvey eventually traveled back to Manitoba and settled down to raise a family in Winnipeg. He had a long career with the Canadian National Railway as an electrical journeyman in the Transcona and Symington yard sites. He retired from CN after 35 years of service in 2005.
The next chapter in his life was spent blissfully fulfilling his dream of moving back to the country and building a home near Lake Winnipeg at Patricia Beach (a.k.a Stony Point) with his beloved Josephine. Together they established a gorgeous homestead and spent 15 years stewarding 120 acres before moving to Garson.
Harvey loved watching the animals that shared their property and felt kinship with the eagles, owls, bears and other creatures who visited them throughout the seasons. He was a tender hearted animal lover and adopted many dogs & cats throughout his life including his dearest dogs Cody, Mark and Rocky.
Harv felt a strong connection to the beach and worked for several years at the Patricia Beach Provincial Park as a caretaker. He especially enjoyed all the people he met at the beach as well as his early morning walks along the shore which brought him peace and serenity.
Harvey loved wilderness camping and going canoeing with family and friends. One of his favorite places to paddle was at Nopiming Provincial Park. He stayed at Tulabi Falls campground countless times with family and friends to revel in the beauty and splendor of nature. In his later years, Harv also enjoyed the opportunity to travel abroad to Australia and the Yucatan and explore the environments and cultural monuments of those places.
Music was deeply inspiring for Harvey as well. He especially enjoyed folk, roots and political music and attended the first Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974. Harv was a Folk Fest volunteer for over 3 decades and made dozens of long lasting and meaningful friendships there. He loved attending live concerts and he & Josephine hosted dozens of music jams and Home Routes concerts at their Patricia Beach home.
Harv was an incredible handyman and mechanic. His friends say that he could fix just about anything, given time, in his own way. He would always help a friend in need with a task or job and loved building creative projects that were both functional and beautiful.
The loss of Harvey has left an enormous space in his community of family and friends that will never be filled. His life touched so many people in immeasurable ways. He was a bright shining light that shone joy onto so many. He is gone, but we will always be able to find him sparkling down on us from his new home in the stars.
Cremation has taken place; a celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Harvey’s memorial page by using the comment field below.
