Mary Patricia Harper Harvey, 85, passed away Saturday, August 8, 2026.
A memorial service will be held at noon on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 902 Crawford Road in Rock Hill.
Mary Pat was born September 24, 1940 in Pulaski, Virginia to William Francis “Bill” and Marion McCauley Harper.
She is survived by her sisters Peggy Burley and Marion (Steve) Rogers; her four sons, Chip (Falicia), Troy (Maria), Mark (Angel) and Michael (Rhonda) Harvey; seven grandchildren, Olivia, Nathaniel, James, Amber, Ethan, Lucas, and Nicolas; and 12 nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her brother, Bill Harper and her husband, Melvin Harvey.
Mary Pat grew up in Charlotte and met Mel in the early sixties while they both worked at the same finance company. Within a year they were married, on December 27, 1961. She used to say that she couldn’t believe she put her parents through planning a wedding so close to Christmas, but it must have worked, as Mel and Mary Pat were married for more than 60 years.
Mel and Mary Pat raised their four boys, with plenty of family, faith and fun to go around. Mealtimes around the table often included large portions of food and equally large portions of laughter. During that time Mom also managed to keep the family healthy, nursing broken bones as well as broken hearts, treating scrapes, strains, sprains and tending to stitches, lots and lots of stitches.
As the boys grew older, Mary Pat also worked outside the home serving at various times as a receptionist, office manager, and secretary in finance, real estate, hospitals and churches.
As each son got married, Mary Pat welcomed her new daughters-in-law into the family with a lot of love and a little sass — maybe a lot of sass. But she always listened and supported them as they managed work and family. And her no-nonsense advice made them all better parents.
Mary Pat was always happiest when the family was together and maybe even happier still when the family grew to include her grandchildren. Her “chickadees” as she called them, enjoyed their time with Grammie or DeDe, and not just because they loved the special treats and trips she shared when they visited. She made each of them feel welcomed and loved, as she did with so many family and friends.
A woman of great faith, she regularly attended daily mass before others were even out of bed. In later years, when congregations were limited, she continued the practice, rising early to attend daily mass via YouTube. She also joined other faithful, serving as a Eucharistic minister and praying the rosary on a regular basis.
Grammie, DeDe, MP, Mom or Mama — Mary Pat Harvey was known by many names, but all who knew her also knew she was one of a kind.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.