Gerald Harvasty

Gerald Harvasty

November 5, 1940 - January 22, 2025

Fountain Valley, CA

Gerald Harvasty, 84, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025, in Fountain Valley, California. Born on November 5, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, Gerald was the youngest of three children to Mary Ann Palamarchyk and Stephen Harvasty. His mother later married Albert Phillip Evans Sr. and had seven more children.

In the mid-1950s, Gerald's family relocated to the West Coast, eventually settling in Garden Grove, California. Gerald was a good student who excelled in art from an early age, earning recognition from the Latham Foundation and the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts Junior Art Gallery. He was commissioned to paint murals, including one of the Spanish Armada for his school library. In his junior and senior years of high school, he served as the art editor of his yearbook.

At 19, Gerald joined the United States Navy where he served as an Airman for 2 years at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas, and later at the Eleventh Naval District in San Diego, California. While serving in Texas, he fell in love with and married Linda Turner. They had two sons together, James and Brian. He later fell in love with and married Sharon Clintsman in Orange County, California. They had two daughters, Lisa and Tina.

Following his military service, Gerald pursued higher education at Fullerton College and Saddleback College while embarking on a remarkable 39-year career with Parker Aerospace. As a project specialist in the control systems division, he contributed to many programs over the years including the F/A-18 Super Hornet, SR-71 Blackbird, AV-8B Harrier, F-4 Phantom, Apache Helicopter, and Space Shuttle. He enjoyed his profession and strived to do his best, often receiving letters of recognition from his company and their customers.

Gerald's artistic spirit remained a defining aspect of his life. He expressed himself through drawing, painting, photography, music, performing arts, and film. He enjoyed attending plays, movies, musicals, museums, and capturing beauty through photography. His adventurous nature led him to motorcycle riding, fishing, airshows, car races, and traveling. Gerald was a member of the Goldwing Road Riders C1-R Chapter for several years participating in many parades to cross country road trips. An avid dancer and tennis player with an appreciation for good food shared with family and friends, Gerald embraced life with enthusiasm. He was a loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend who will be deeply missed.

Gerald was predeceased by his parents Mary Ann Evans, Stephen Harvasty and step father Albert Evans Sr; brothers Robert, Allen and Fred; and sisters Marilyn, Maryann and Darlene.

He is survived by his brother in law Frederick "Nip", sister Alberta and her husband Allen, sister Marelene, brother Albert Jr. and his wife Donna. Gerald is also survived by his 4 children; son James; son Brian and his wife Maura; daughter Lisa and her husband Garry; daughter Tina and her husband Christopher as well as his 6 beloved grandchildren: Kelly and her husband William; Aimee and her husband Mark; Joshua and his wife Kimberly; Sarah; Melissa and her husband Jeff; and Jack. His 14 great grandchildren: Gunner, Kaeden, Lenox, Shaena, Tiegan, Kenna, Caden, Lylian, Caroline, Summer, Lucas, Emma, Ellie and Caleb.

A memorial service to honor Gerald's life will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Saddleback Church Lake Forest, Plaza Room, located at 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, California 92630. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed online.