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Obituary: Harvey Thomas
Harvey Thomas : an obituary
Harvey Thomas, former chairman of the Cremation Society of Great Britain and well known friend of the burial and cremation sector, died on March 13 2022 aged 82.
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Harvey’s personality was as big as he was – 6’ 5” tall with size 17 feet. If Harvey was in the room, you couldn’t miss him, neither because of his sheer physical presence nor his exuberant personality. Coming over as a most humble man, he always gave a genuinely warm greeting and asked how you were, not out of politeness but out of real interest.
Spending time with Harvey was always an education. He had so many stories to tell, which he told, not with any sense of bragging or showing off, but as an illustration of what anybody can achieve in this world.
Central to Harvey’s being was his faith; at 11 years old he was ‘born again’ whilst attending a youth camp on the Isle of Wight run by a Christian organisation. After not particularly excelling at school, Harvey tried his hand at the legal profession, but it wasn’t for him. He auditioned for and was accepted at RADA, but instead, inspired by working for the popular American evangelist Billy Graham, he attended the Northwestern Bible College in Minnesota, USA. He also went on to study at the universities of Minnesota and Hawaii. To finance these studies Harvey worked night shifts for the US Mail Service, and also as a dj on a local radio station, playing to his strengths as a born performer.
Between 1960 and 1975, Harvey worked for Billy Graham. During that time he organised Graham’s world tours and huge rallies, including one in Wembley Stadium in 1965 that attracted over 100,000 worshipers. Using the skills and experiences he honed under Graham, Harvey first became an international public affairs consultant, then worked for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, helping the party to transform their communications strategy and to win three general election campaigns. It was during this role that Harvey was caught up in the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton by the IRA in October 1984. The huge bomb exploded in the room below Harvey’s, resulting in Harvey being blown one floor up before crashing three floors down. He became trapped on a steel girder, topped by tons of debris and with water from burst pipes gushing past him in the total darkness. According to doctors, it was Harvey’s bulk that saved him; a smaller and thinner person would not have survived the impact. Such was his irrepressible nature that a major bomb blast couldn’t stop him leaving hospital only hours after he was rescued to continue with the party conference he had helped to organise. Many years after the bombing, Harvey contacted the bomber, Patrick Magee, and over time the two became unlikely friends, with Harvey forgiving Magee, as required by his Christian faith.
Following his work with the Conservative Party, Harvey went on to work as an international PR consultant, and was also actively involved in Christian broadcasting ventures around the world. In 1982 he became a non-executive director of the London Cremation Company, and was elected a Member of the Council and a Trustee of the Cremation Society in 1983. He served as the Society’s Chairman from 2009 to 2019, during which time he was a regular attendee of sector events.
Despite his many achievements and his international travels, Harvey was very much a family man, loving to spend time with his ever-supportive wife, Marlies, and his two cherished daughters, Leah and Lani. A non-smoker and non-drinker, Harvey’s only vices were his love for Arsenal Football Club, and for his model train set, which dominated the garage of his north London home.
Harvey’s achievements were recognised through him being awarded the CBE in Margaret Thatcher’s resignation honour’s list. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and the Chartered Institute of Journalists.
Harvey’s death has left a hole befitting of his size in so many lives, and he will be very much missed across the world.
Rest in peace, dear Harvey, and thank you for the stories.
