Wayne T. Price

FLORIDA TODAY

Larry Harvey, 70, one of the few remaining scions of Brevard County citrus, died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.​

A one-time treasure hunter/salvager, Harvey was involved most of his life in the family business, the Rockledge-based Harvey’s Indian River Groves. Larry shared the duties of running Harvey’s with his younger brother, Jim, with the latter being in charge of the day-to-day operations while Larry — until his retirement last year — was in charge of growing the fruit.

“He really enjoyed being in the outdoors and growing the fruit,” Jim Harvey told FLORIDA TODAY.

Frank Sullivan, owner of the Brevard-based Sullivan Victory Groves — and a “friendly competitor” of the Harvey’s — called Larry a dedicated “agriculturist.”

Harvey's Groves open for business in Rockledge

“He took care of the groves more than the packing houses,” said Sullivan who had known Harvey all his life. “That’s the part of it he enjoyed. He enjoyed being outside. He enjoyed making something grow.”

Harvey, a married father of two sons and a lover of his family’s fresh temple oranges, was born Aug. 19, 1945, and was raised next to the Indian River where he grew to love the outdoors and water activities.

Harvey’s Indian River Groves is the area’s largest and oldest retail citrus operation, with a packing house and retail outlets in Rockledge and Melbourne.The business was started in 1926 by Blanche and Roy Harvey, Larry’s great aunt and uncle. George Harvey, Larry’s father, joined the business in 1938 and bought the business in the 1960s.

Larry attended attended Cocoa High School where he was a prominent member of the swim team, and he was a 1967 graduate of the University of South Carolina . Following graduation, he went to work for the Real Eight Corp., salvaging sunken treasure from the Spanish fleet that was blown ashore during a hurricane in 1715.

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“I got a gold coin from him when he was diving,” Sullivan said. “It’s on my wife’s charm bracelet.”

In 1970 Larry moved on to work for Walt Disney where he managed the recreation department at Disney World. He also served as the first appointed Mayor of Lake Buena Vista outside Disney World.

He returned to the family business in the 1980s and never looked back, Jim Harvey said.

“There are a lot of advantages to working for a small family business,” Jim Harvey said, “let’s just leave it at that.”

Other survivors include his wife, Mary Lu Tombleson-Harvey; two sons Chris and Bryan Harvey; his sister Sharon Harvey Fontana,

Funeral services will be held at Rockledge Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m. Tuesday, with a reception to follow. Donations in his name can be made to the Space Coast Cancer Foundation, 490 Washington Ave, Titusville FL 32796.

Contact Price at 321-242-3658 or wprice@floridatoday.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Fla2dayBiz.