Dr. Harvey R. Dearstyne Jr.

QUEENSBURY * Dr. Harvey R. Dearstyne Jr., 85, long-time resident of Glens Falls, died peacefully Monday, June 5, 2006, at home with his wife and two daughters.

Harvey was born in Glens Falls, on March 9, 1921, the son of Harvey R. Dearstyne and Merle Stevens Dearstyne.

He attended Glens Falls Academy until 1932, graduated from high school in Streator, Ill. in 1938, and attended Beloit College in Wisconsin.

Harvey returned to Glens Falls and worked at Scott Paper Co. before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1944 he graduated from Midshipman School at Northwestern University in Chicago.

The same day he received his commission, Harvey married his college sweetheart, Phyllis Jane Clark. They headed immediately for Fort Pierce, Fla., where Harvey was trained as a "frogman" and became the commanding officer of the swimming platoon of Underwater Demolition Team 6 (UDT-6). After the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, UDT-6 carried out reconnaissance at Sasebo, the third largest naval harbor in Japan, to make sure that the harbor was safe for the Marines to come in for occupation. After carrying out the recon of Sasebo, UDT-6 carried out two other missions in the Ryuku Islands, one at Miyako Shima, the other at Kigaiga.

Once the war ended, Harvey received his BS in biochemistry and his DMD from Tufts University Dental School. While attending dental school, he was president of his senior class, elected to membership in Omicron Delta Upsilon Honorary Dental Society, and a member and president of Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity.

In 1951, Dr. Dearstyne opened his practice of general dentistry in Glens Falls, where he practiced for 41 years. He volunteered for the Glens Falls Hospital dental staff and was a member of the Upper Hudson Dental Society and the American Dental Association. He was a longtime member of the Glens Falls Rotary Club and was honored as a Paul Harris fellow. A member of the First Presbyterian Church, Harvey served as deacon and elder.

Harvey is survived by his wife, Phyllis of 61 years; his daughter Anne (Dearstyne) and Richard Ketchen of Carlisle, Mass.; his daughter Martha Dearstyne and Dan Coffey of Bellingham, Wash.; his two granddaughters, Harriet Ketchen and Hayden Coffey; as well as other extended family.

He was predeceased by his son, Harvey R. Dearstyne III, in 1970.

Above all, Harvey loved spending time with his family. He also loved the outdoors. He enjoyed gardening, biking, canoeing, golfing, skiing, traveling, and hiking in the mountains. In 1974, he became Adirondack Forty Sixer No. 1101 on Allen Mountain. When not outdoors, he enjoyed working crossword puzzles and playing cribbage.

Dr. Dearstyne was a special man who will be remembered for his fun-loving sense of humor and his genuine interest in people. There is no husband more devoted, no father more loving, no grandfather more affectionate, no friend more faithful.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Harvey R. Dearstyne III Scholarship Fund, Glens Falls City Schools, 10 Quade St., Glens Falls, NY 12801, or to Camp Chingachgook, Attention: Harvey R. Dearstyne III, Hike and Trip Center, 1872 Pilot Knob Road, Kattskill Bay, NY 12844.