Obituary for
Jocelyn Harvey (Gilbertson)
Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Jocelyn (or Josh) Harvey (née Gilbertson) was the eldest of five children. She studied English literature, became a professor and met her husband David Dow Harvey in Seattle. Always committed to progressive politics, they moved to Canada with their baby daughter Kerridwen (Didi) during the Vietnam War in 1969 and homesteaded on Gopherwood Farm outside of Barry’s Bay, Ontario where they stayed for ‘five winters’ as Josh liked to say. There her son John was born and the Harveys made several life-long friends. She then made her life with her family in Ottawa, with great dedication in her working life to the arts, in particular at the Canada Council for the Arts and then as an art consultant, continuing to work on arts related issues her entire life. Josh lived her life fully and she touched many other people’s lives. She dealt with medical issues in her later life but she maintained her characteristic optimism up until the end. She passed away at her home on August 18, 2019. She leaves her daughter Kerridwen and son John, their spouses Denis Hurtubise and Tina Matos, her cherished grandchildren James and Meredith, her two precious sisters Jessie Gilbertson and Win Levine, two nephews Jason and Jon Levine, and many dear friends. She is predeceased by her parents Julius and Dorothy, her brother Julius (Jay) and little sister Dot. A celebration of life will be held on August 31st from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club, 176 Cameron Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Jocelyn Harvey Legacy Fund to encourage public engagement, democratic renewal and critical public discourse. www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/jocelyn-harvey-legacy-fund
1936 – 2019
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Jocelyn
Harvey Gilbertson..
Death notice for the town of: Ottawa, Province: Ontario