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HARVEY MILTON MABRY WENT TO BE WITH HIS LORD ON FEBRUARY 3, 2025 AT 86 YEARS OF AGE, AFTER A LENGTHY ILLNESS. HARVEY WAS BORN IN CAMERON, TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 19,1938. HE LIVED IN SEVERAL CITIES IN TEXAS OVER HIS LIFETIME AND MOVED BACK TO SAN ANTONIO IN 1990 WHERE HE AND HIS WIFE REMAINED UNTIL HE WENT TO HIS HEAVENLY HOME. HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS FATHER, JAMES EARL MABRY, HIS MOTHER, MILDRED JULIA SIMPSON MABRY, AND HIS BROTHER, DAVID CHARLES MABRY, AND HIS SON-IN-LAW STEVE MEDOLA (MARRIED TO DAUGHTER JULIE). IN 1951 HARVEY AND HIS AUSTIN LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM QUALIFIED FOR THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES IN WILLIAMSPORT PENNSYLVANIA. AS FIRST BASEMAN HARVEY HIT THE FIRST BASES LOADED HOME RUN BY ANY PLAYER ON ANY TEAM PLAYING IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES. AFTER THAT GAME HE WAS INTERVIEWED ON A LOCAL SPORTS RADIO PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE MARINE CORPS. WHEN ASKED IF HE HAD PLANS TO JOIN THE MILITARY, HE SAID YES, THE MARINES. AFTER THE MARINE TOOK HIS MARINE EMBLEM OFF HIS CAP (UTILITY COVER) AND GAVE IT TO HARVEY, HARVEY DETERMINED HE WOULD BE A MARINE. THE AMERICAN MAJOR LEAGUE HALL OF FAME PITCHER CY YOUNG WAS IN THE DUGOUT TALKING BASEBALL TO HARVEY’S TEAM. A PHOTO OF THE TEAM AND CY YOUNG IN THE DUGOUT MADE THE COVER OF THE DECEMBER 1951 BASEBALL MAGAZINE. FAST FORWARD TO AFTER THE GRADUATION CEREMONY FROM HIGH SCHOOL, HARVEY AND 4 FRIENDS (2 OF THEM HARVEY’S LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMMATES) JOINED THE MARINES ON THE BUDDY PROGRAM. HARVEY HAD A 50 PLUS YEAR CAREER WITH HEB ACTUALLY STARTING AT 11 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WORKED AT THE HEB STORE WHERE HIS DAD WAS STORE MANAGER. AFTER ACTIVE DUTY IN THE MARINES, HE ENTERED THE MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM AND ENTERED UT AUSTIN AND BEGAN HIS REAL CAREER WITH HEB. THERE WAS A CONNECTION WITH BASEBALL AND THE MARINES DURING HIS CAREER. HIS BASES LOADED HOME RUN FAME EARNED HIM A PLACE IN THE HEB BASEBALL HALL OF FAME. HEB SPONSORED THE HOUSTON ASTROS HOSTING THE CHICAGO CUBS AT THEN ENRON FIELD. HARVEY WAS CHOSEN TO TOSS THE TRADIIONAL FIRST PITCH. WHEN HEB WAS AWARDED THE SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD FOR FINANCIAL AND PRODUCT DONATIONS, HARVEY ACCEPTED THE AWARD ON BEHALF OF HEBUTT GROCERY COMPANY. HARVEY’S LAST RESPONSIBILITY AT HEB WAS PRESIDENT OF RETAILING WHICH ENCOMPASSED MANY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILTY AND SEVERAL CHAIRMAN POSITIONS. HEB CREATED THE HARVEY MABRY EXCELLENCE IN MANAGEMENT AWARD TO EMPLOYEES WHO EXHIBITED OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT SKILLS. AFTER RETIRING, HARVEY STILL WORE MANY HATS, STARTING BUSINESSES AND SELLING THEM AND VOLUNTEERING AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE FOR A LOCAL CHURCH. AS AN ORDAINED ELDER, HARVEY PERFORMED BAPTISMS FOR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL AS SEVERAL GRANDCHILDREN’S WEDDINGS. HARVEY’S LIFE WAS A TAPESTRY OF FAITH, FAMILY, BASEBALL, MARINES, AND CAREER. HARVEY OFTEN SAID THAT ANY SUCCESS HE HAD IN HIS LIFE WAS BECAUSE GOD HAD HIS HAND ON HIS LIFE. HARVEY HAS LEFT A LASTING LEGACY BY SPEAKING AND LIVING WITH INTEGRITY, SERVING WITH INTENSITY AND PASSION, GIVING GENEROUSLY, AND SERVING WITH HUMILITY. HARVEY IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE OF 51 YEARS, MARJORIE MABRY, AND HIS CHILDREN, LAURIE HAYNES (BARRY), CARY MABRY (DIANE), TAMMIE BUITRON (STEVE), JULIE MEYER (RODNEY), DAVID MABRY (SHERRI) AS WELL AS 22 GRANDCHILDREN, 23 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, AND 4 GREAT-GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. HARVEY IS SURVIVED BY HIS BROTHER, JAMES E. MABRY (JACKIE), SISTER, ANDREA SUE SPEER (DON), BROTHER, CLAYTON (DELIA); ALSO, NUMEROUS COUSINS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT WERE LIKE HIS SIBLINGS AS HE GREW UP.

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Harvey Milton Mabry

September 19, 1938 - February 3, 2025