As Vince Lombardi once said, "We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time." Harvey Paul Ruck ran out of time on October 28, 2024, surrounded by his beloved family. Born on March 3, 1945, in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Harvey was a hero in the eyes of his three daughters. Although being a dad was not paternalistic to him; he tackled the challenge at the age of 49 when he married his best friend, Robin.

As an only child, Harvey was raised in Menomonee Falls, WI. by his loving parents Pauline and Harvey Sr. Harvey's father was a prisoner of WWII so it was a miracle that he would make it home to raise his beloved son. Harvey had a wonderful childhood with fond memories of playing with his cousins. Gordy was one Harvey talked about often and they sure had some great times growing up together. As a young boy, Harvey fell in love with animals and always talked about his pets: Cricket, Cupid, and Frisky. As an adult his love for pets grew even stronger as he cherished his Lucy, Ellie Mae, Tipsy, and Billy Whiskers. He even had a fridge full of postcards with all the animals he sponsored through ASPCA.

Harvey was famous for his entertaining storytelling, one-of-a-kind radio voice, sports commentary (that you could hear from miles away), amazing dance moves, his love for chrome on his old collector cars, and singing the best version of the Monster Mash you would ever hear at karaoke night. Harvey was the guy who could turn any wedding into a dance marathon. Watching his animated choreography was like a free admission to a dance contest. Harvey had many talents and one he learned during retirement was cooking. Harvey was a foodie and was inspired by Mad Dog & Merrill. He would spend hours crafting and mastering new recipes. It was always a treat to go visit him and see what was on the menu. When he wasn't in the kitchen, he would be glued to the PackerRats forum, meticulously recording sports stats, or enjoying golf, Brewers, Packers, and Bucks games. He was never bored as he would watch reruns of sports, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Mecum Auctions.

Harvey spent the early part of his career as a disc jockey radio host out of Eagle River, WI. Even after he changed careers; he could always tell you the name of a song, what year it came out and who the artist was. He spent the remainder of his career as a sales manager for various Ford/Mercury dealerships. He retired from Mike Burkart Ford, Plymouth WI, in 2010. Thursdays was his day off and he and Robin would take adventures traveling around the state antiquing or attending swap meets trying to find old parts for his collector cars or the next piece to add to their antique collection. His enthusiasm for collector cars was a thrill we shared as a family, traveling to various car shows. He was not a fan of modified cars and loved original stock; the same kind of love he had for his family. Harvey loved and adored us for who we were and never tried to modify us into something we weren't. He was extremely supportive and was proud and happy to have us as his family and the feeling was mutual.

Harvey's infectious charisma and unwavering love will forever be cherished by all whose lives he impacted. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to know him. A huge thank you to some very close friends, John and Susie Shackleton for assisting Harvey the last few years. He absolutely adored Susie, and we were fortunate for her help. We would like to thank the staff at Lake House Assisted Living in New Holstein, WI for making his residency safe, comfortable, and joyful. We also would like to thank the staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton (Intensive Care Unit) and the Compassus hospice team for providing phenomenal care during his last lap.

Harvey leaves behind his loving family: daughter Marsha Austinson and two grandsons (Evan Austinson, Grayson Stenstrom), daughter Lacey Austinson, daughter LeAnn Austinson (Erika Herandez), best friend Robin Ruck, and Cousin Gordy (JoAnn) Worm. Harvey's wishes were to have a private gathering with family to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calumet County Humane Society in his honor.