Harvey Eugene "Gene" Harmon, age 82, of Olney, passed away on Monday, September 3, 2012, at his residence in Olney.  Funeral services at Stasi-Grove Funeral Home in Olney with Reverend Brett Best officiating. Burial in Crest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery in rural Claremont.

Gene was born July 27, 1930, in Richland County, the son of Harvey Harmon and Pearl (Nowak) Harmon. He married JoAnn Gower on May 26, 1951, in Richland County. She preceded him in death.

He loved the outdoors. He was a plumber, carpenter and farmer by trade. He loved hunting, Tigers baseball, football and OCC baseball and attended many of their games. As a young man, he played fast-pitch softball in Olney and later came to love the game of girls fast-pitch when his niece played at East Richland High School and Olney Central College. He was very proud of the accomplishments of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews who starred in various sports around the region. He especially was proud of his great-granddaughter who is one of America's best wake-boarders and talked about her often. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and everyone who knew him.

Gene is survived by daughters, Carol Jones and her husband, Steve, of Centralia, and Judy Beamer and her husband, Tim, of Cheney, Wash.; brother, Jim Harmon, of Olney; sister, Pat Grove and her husband, Jerry, of Olney; brother-in-law, Harold Roth, of Ida, Mich.; sister-in-law, Barb Harmon, of Olney; two grandchildren, Chris Jones and his wife, Cassie, of Salem, and Erin Frailey, of Salem; six great-grandchildren, Blair, Hailey, Taylor, Carlee, Logan and McKennah; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn Harmon; parents, Harvey and Pearl Harmon; one brother, Bill Harmon; one sister, Betty Roth; and an infant son, John David.

Published in Olney Daily Mail (IL)