E.L. Harvey Founder Robert Harvey, 95, Dies

Robert E. Harvey, one of the founders of E.L. Harvey & Sons Inc.. died Aug. 30. He was 95.

Harvey served as president of waste hauler E.L. Harvey, based in Westborough, Mass., until 2004, when he retired. He was the son of company patriarch Emory L. Harvey.

A lifelong resident of Westborough, Harvey graduated from Cornell University in 1941 and then committed to the family business, according to a release.

“Bob was an original founder in our company and leader in our industry but never wanted the accolades,” said Ellen Harvey, Bob’s daughter-in-law and vice president of E.L. Harvey & Sons. “He was just a hard-working man who loved what he did. He was a wonderful man who will be greatly missed.”

A devoted recycler, Harvey found ways to remove commodities from the waste stream that came into the E.L. Harvey facility and worked to market much of the material early on. He worked to establish waste-handling procedures that enabled the company to reduce the amount of unrecovered recyclable material. Innovations he introduced now are mandated by state law.

He served on the National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA) board of trustees. He also served as deputy sheriff for Worcester County.

Harvey is survived by his wife of 72 years, Jane; two sons, William and Ben; and a daughter, Dorothy Thompson. His eldest son, Robert, Jr., died in 1984.