Major General Harvey J. McCarter, 87 of Fairview, Texas, “flew west” on July 14th, 2021, with his wife and family by his side.
General McCarter was born in Louisburg, Kansas on February 7, 1934, to Winford G. and Georgia E. McCarter. He lived in Manhattan, Kansas from age 8 and attended Manhattan High School where he played multiple sports. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1956 with a BS in Electrical Engineering, played baseball, was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and KSU Air Force ROTC Detachment.
Upon graduation from KSU, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He entered Active Duty in November 1956 and went to USAF Flight School, earning his wings in February 1958 at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. His Electrical Engineering degree helped win him an assignment as a Communications and Electronics Officer at an Aircraft Control and Warning Direction Center in Alaska. Upon completion of the Alaska tour of duty in 1959, he was released from active duty and began a career at Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. In 1960, he joined the Kansas Air National Guard at McConnell AFB, KS where he flew the T-33, F-86L, the F-100C and F-100F combat aircraft concurrently with his civilian work.
After leaving Boeing, he went to work for Power Engineering in Sioux City, Iowa as a project engineer and became the Chief Engineer on the first launch complex for the missions to land men on the moon located at Cape Kennedy, Florida. He was very proud to be a part of the Apollo preparation. He transferred to the Iowa Air National Guard to continue flying the F-100C.
In 1966, he became an airline pilot for Trans World Airlines. While training for the Boeing 727, he was invited to instruct in the TWA Training Center for the next 4 years. He transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1967 at Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO. He advanced through the ranks serving as aircraft commander and instructor pilot on the C-124 and C-130. He also served in various operations’ positions at Squadron and Wing levels of increasing significance before becoming Vice Wing Commander.
During his military service between 1967 and 1982, he completed Air Command and Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Air War College, and he also earned a Master of Business Management from Webster University. He, then, spent a year at the Pentagon and three years as Vice Commander of the 14th Air Force Dobbins AFB with command of all reserve airlift east of the Mississippi River (22,000 airmen and airwomen). He served two years at the Military Airlift Command at Scott AFB, IL and finally 5 years again at the Pentagon as Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations where he was promoted to Major General in 1988. He retired from military service in 1993.
His TWA career progressed with a captain rating on the B-707, B-727, B-757/767 and instructor check airman on the B-727 and B-767. In 1989 Harvey received the TWA Award of Excellence. In late 1990, he retired from TWA to accept a four-year contract to fly the B747-300 for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. His combined military, airline, and civilian flying time totals nearly 18,000 hours.
In retirement he was an active member of the McKinney Lions Club for nearly 20 years.
Harvey was married to Barbara Sondergard McCarter for 36 years. She passed away from diabetic complications in May 1990. They had two sons, Steven W. married to LuAnne of Blue Ridge, Texas (two grandchildren, Zachary B. of The Colony, Texas and Anna E. of Blue Ridge, Texas) and Jeffrey D. married to Kristi of Overland Park, Kansas. Harvey married Angela Cody in 1991 and she passed away in 1995 from pancreatic cancer. From this marriage, he gained a stepdaughter, Marisa married to David of Sherwood Oaks, California (step granddaughter, Natasha). In 2000, he married Marilyn Barnes. From this marriage, he gained two stepdaughters, Cynthia married to Jim of Nunica, Michigan (step grandchildren, Will of Tucson, Arizona and Ann of Nunica, Michigan) and Connie Weaver of Dallas, Texas. He loved them all dearly!
Harvey was always an avid and loyal Kansas State University sports fan! He, also, served on the board of directors for the Kansas State University Johnson Cancer Research Center.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn Barnes, children (2), stepchildren (3), grandchildren (2) and step grandchildren (3), all of whom respected him, loved him and will miss him tremendously!
The family will receive friends during a visitation from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013.
A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday August 17, 2021, at First United Methodist Church, 315 North Church Street McKinney, Texas 75069.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at Sunrise Cemetery, 2901 Stagg Hill Road, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
In lieu of flowers please send donations on behalf of Harvey J. McCarter to the Kansas State University Johnson Cancer Research Center at - https://cancer.k-state.edu