Reverend Dr. David Vernon Harsh

Reverend Dr. David Vernon Harsh

MADISON - Reverend Dr. David Vernon Harsh, age 85, of Madison, WI, died on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at University Hospital in Madison after a fall earlier in the week.

Born March 10, 1939, in Milwaukee, WI, to Vernon Gordon Harsh and Loraine (Vesbach) Harsh, Dave enjoyed music throughout his school years; he was the first-chair bassist in a Milwaukee Youth Symphony, played with jazz combos and sang in chorus. His dedicated practice led to a Music Scholarship at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA in 1957, where he met Ann Archer, and they were married on the afternoon of their graduation in the Cornell College Chapel on June 5, 1961.

They spent the next four years in Evanston, IL while Dave studied at Garrett Theological Seminary in preparation for ordination as a Methodist Minister. His pastorates began at Trinity Methodist (now Bay View UMC) in Milwaukee, followed by Janesville Asbury in 1965, and Sturgeon Bay/Jacksonport UMC in 1971.

Falling in love with Door County, Dave was able to purchase a small cottage on the water which became a home base, no matter where he was serving, for the rest of his life. Dave next served Green Bay St. Paul's (1978), Chippewa Falls Trinity (1981), on to SW WI District Superintendent (1989) and lastly Madison Bethany UMC (1993), retiring in 2001 to a larger home next to their Door County cottage where they enjoyed the next 18 years on the lake. Most recently Dave and Ann moved back to Oakwood in Madison, just blocks from his old Bethany UMC.

As a Pastor, Dave was known for preaching entertaining, positive, and energizing sermons with a focus on volunteer mission work, giving, and service. Every church he served witnessed an expansion of their youth groups. He led youth work teams to many states in the U.S., and internationally to Cuba, Senegal, Liberia, Costa Rica, Palestine West Bank, Vietnam . . . and especially Bolivia which has held a special place in his heart since the 1960's. Just a few weeks before his death, David was honored by a contingent from Bolivia including the country's UMC Bishop who presented a service plaque in a ceremony at Bethany.

Dave had many interests – music, travel (all states and 87 countries), photography (thousands of slides, programs, and fair-winning images), birding (worldwide: 1543 lifers), and genealogy (seven generations back to Germany) among them.

He will be greatly missed by Ann Annette (Archer) Harsh, his wife, of 63 years; two children: David Brent (Mehnoush Banaei) Harsh and Heidi Annette (Steve) Clem; two grandchildren: Elika Harsh and Alec (Callie Ramsey) Harsh; great-granddaughter, Maelene Honey Harsh; sister, Mary (Bob) Holtan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at Bethany United Methodist Church in Madison on August 17, 2024; come early for visitation with family before the service which begins at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider: Bethany United Methodist Church, 3910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705; Cornell College, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314; Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2121 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60201; Oakwood Foundation, Inc., 6209 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705.