Harvey James Pierce

PIERCE, Jr., A.I.A., Harvey James, age 90, died on Monday, November 16, 2020. Harvey was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Greenville, Ohio. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1948, and went on to study architecture and engineering at Ohio State University graduating in 1952.

He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, Rotary International, and the Presidents Club at Ohio State. The local Rotary honored him with the Paul Harris Fellowship. He was a registered architect and member of the American Institute of Architects. He spent the majority of his career with the Dayton firm, Lorenz and Williams where he was a principal partner. One of his major projects at L&W was the Winters Bank Building in Dayton.

After retiring from Lorenz and Williams he worked through his mid-eighties in his personal practice continuing design and engineering work for many local businesses. In his home community of Oakwood, he designed the Oakwood Community Center’s pool and grounds. Harvey was artistic, outgoing, dedicated to Ohio State football, and a great organizer of annual family Thanksgiving reunions. He had a wide range of interests including Irish music, theater, collecting antique mallets and whistles, and spending time with his extended family. He was well traveled, qualified for his pilot’s license, and rode motorcycles. He also enjoyed spending time at Sunset Beach North Carolina in the beach house he designed. He lived in Oakwood from 1959 until his move to Carlyle House in 2018. His sense of humor and optimism made it easy for him to make friends, and he started a long tradition of meeting at Starbucks every Sunday morning to visit with his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey James Pierce, Sr., D.O., Lillian Mae (Manuel) Pierce; stepmother, Ruth (Clark) Pierce; sister, Peggy Prophater; wives, Donna Louise (Falknor) Pierce, and Judith (King) Pierce. He is survived by his sister, Jane Skorpen; sons, Harvey James Pierce III, M.D., Jeff Pierce and his wife , Carol; step children, Kevin King and Karrie Payne; granddaughters, Allison and Eryn Pierce, Cassidy (Pierce) Wright and her husband, Ryan; grandson, Zachary Pierce and wife, Erin; step grandchildren, Tyler and Abby King and Hadley Payne; great grandchildren, Eloise and Oliver Wright; and niece, Sharon (Prophater) Hurst and husband Dick, with a special thanks to nephew, Robert Prophater, M.D. and his wife, Martha, who supported Harvey when needed.

There will be a private ceremony at ROUTSONG FUNERAL HOME, KETTERING on Saturday, November 28. Burial in Greenville Union Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio.

A celebration of Harvey’s life for all of his family and friends will be scheduled in May of 2021 once the current medical crisis is over and we can safely gather. To share your condolences with the family please visit www.routsong.com.