James Bruce Harvey, age 81 of Murfreesboro died Monday December 12, 2022.
He was well known and respected in positions of General Manager, Director of Engineering and served on multiple committees of the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association and the TN Valley Authority, who spent his career working in the utility business in the TVA region but was well known for his positive attitude and generosity in the local community. Bruce graduated from Soddy Daisy High School in 1958 and then Tennessee Polytechnic University (now TN Technological University) where he discovered his love for engineering. As an Assistant Engineer for the US Naval Avionic Facility in the Theoretical Research Division, he assisted with programming experimental missile characteristics from 1963-1965. He next served Chattanooga Electric Power Board as Systems Planning Engineer until 1973. 1973-1978, he served as a systems Engineer at North Georgia EMC before becoming the Director of Engineering and Operations there. He worked Gibson Electric, in Trenton, TN, and then took a position of General Manager at Upper Cumberland EMC. Prior to retiring he returned to North GA EMC where he retired. Upon retirement he went to work consulting across the US and working part time with the engineering dept at Murfreesboro EMC. After his second retirement, he stayed busy driving cancer patients to treatments, teaching immigrants to drive. He avid hiker and enjoyed traveling. Bruce was member of First Presbyterian Church in Trenton.
A member of the honorary engineering society, Tau Beta Pi, A life member of Optimist International, A registered engineer in the State of Tennessee, Past chairman of The TVPPA Research and Development Committee.
Past chairman of the TVPPA Engineering, Operations, and Safety Section, Ember of the Kiwanis Club, Past board member of the Gibson County Habitat for Humanity, and Smith County Habitat for Humanity. He was passionate class president of 1958 Soddy Daisy High School.
The husband of Margaret Harvey will be remembered as a family man who loved deeply and gave back to the community. A son of the late Emmett Harvey and the late Mary Harden Harvey, Bruce is survived by a son, Chris Harvey (Sandra) and grandchildren, Keith (Catherine), Beth Williams, Matthew (Angel), Jessica, James (Lena), and Joseph of Humboldt; a daughter, Connie Holland, and grandchildren Reagan (Ben) and Clark of Columbia; a step son, John Lancaster (Cynthia) of Pulaski; and step daughter Janie Parks (Jimmy) and grandchildren Sonya, Krista, Trent, Colton, Olivia, and Croix of Murfreesboro; plus numerous great grandchildren, mother of Chris and Connie, Carolyn Harvey.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the scholarship program at Soddy Daisy High School, 1054 Natural Way Soddy Daisy, TN 37379 or Pits Gap Church.
Visitation will be 2:00PM to 4:00PM January 14, 2023, at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. A celebration of life service will be 4:00PM, January 14, 2023. Visitation will be next day January 15, 2023, will also be held in Graysville, TN at Pits Gap Church. www.woodfinchapel.com
