Milford Eugene Harvey

Gene Harvey of Pomona, California died peacefully on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025.
Gene was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Milford Harvey and Mary Moon Harvey, and grew up in the Monterey area. His family moved to Pocatello, Idaho, when he was a teenager, and then back to California after two years, where he attended high schools in Los Gatos and Monterey. He attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, earning a bachelor's degree in 1961. He married his first wife Barbara Collinsworth, who was from Valparaiso, Indiana, and then moved back to California. He began working in Oxnard for a newspaper company, then took a job managing a movie theatre, which was the beginning of his career in theatre exhibition.
Gene was fully immersed in the film and theatre industry. Gene Harvey Theatres had theatres in many locations in Southern California over the years, including Claremont, Barstow, San Dimas, Upland, Ontario, Panorama City, Eagle Rock, King City and Pasadena, as well as Prescott, Arizona. Many of the young people that Gene employed over the years remained close to Gene due to his influence and guidance. He was known as a kind and gentle mentor that shaped the young who worked for him, teaching the importance of hard work and perseverance.
Gene was a consummate storyteller, and it was always hard to get a word in edgewise when Gene got rolling. All who knew him have been entertained by his many stories of the movie business and his adventures driving his 1931 Ford Model-A in the Great Race in 1984, travels in Europe and the U.S. including his and Judy's ballroom dancing, and their Tanzania photo safari in 2016.
Gene is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Judy (McNeilly) Harvey; his sister Carol of Claremore, Oklahoma, and brother Tom of Lake Havasu, Arizona; his two daughters Cheryl Hoxsie of Antelope, California and Caren Harvey Prout and Caren's husband Fred of Emmett, Idaho; as well as grandsons Cayden, Cameron, Landon and Logan. He was predeceased by another brother Charles, and by his first wife Barbara.
A celebration of Gene's life will be held on Saturday, September 13th, from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center, 601 West McKinley Ave., Pomona, California.
In lieu of flowers, those so inclined may make a donation in memory of Gene Harvey to the following causes that were important to Gene: The American Cancer Society; or The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.