KINSTON - If you saw the man with a straw hat, pipe and the "Attitude" lapel pin walking the streets of Kinston, N.C. over these past many years, then you probably caught a glimpse of Felix Harvey. His presence will be greatly missed by his family and friends as he passed away on Thursday, January 2, 2014, at the age of 93. He was born Charles Felix Harvey in Kinston, N.C. on July 16, 1920. He loved life and he lived it to its fullest. He loved business; he loved politics; he loved the outdoors. But even more, he loved his many friends and business associates and he especially loved his family. Nicknames are terms of endearment and Felix Harvey had almost as many nicknames as he did friends: During the Depression, friends and neighbors who bought vegetables from a tall and skinny six year old called him "Sonny." His baseball team at Woodberry Forest called their third basemen "Jeep." While in New Guinea in the South Pacific during World War II, his PT boat crew called him "Skipper." Margaret Blount Harvey, his wife of 67 years, and his sister Myrtilla Harvey Brody called him "Felix." His many co-workers called him "Captain." Many of his employees called him "Mr. Harvey." His three nieces, Harvey Wooten, Katherine Covington and Laura Ball called him "Uncle Stix." His two daughters, Leigh Harvey McNairy and Sunny Harvey Burrows, and his seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren called him "Pop Pop." Felix Harvey firmly believed in a positive attitude. Each morning he read: "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, or say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." And so it is with you. We are in charge of our ATTITUDES. Felix Harvey is survived by his wife, Margaret Blount Harvey; his daughters, Leigh Harvey McNairy of Kinston, N.C. and Sunny Harvey Burrows of Atlanta, Ga.; his sons-in-law, John Onslow McNairy of Kinston and Robert Lee Burrows Jr. of Atlanta; his seven grandchildren, Charlie McNairy of Raleigh/Kinston, N.C. (and his wife Lizzie McNairy and their son Mac), Molly McNairy of New York, N.Y., (and her husband PJ Deschenes and their son Felix and their daughter Magnolia), MeMe McNairy of Raleigh, N.C., Jack McNairy of Kinston, N.C., Margaret Burrows, Mary Lawson Burrows, and Adelaide Burrows, all of Atlanta, Ga.; his sister, Myrtilla Harvey Brody of Kinston and her three daughters, Harvey Wooten of Greenville, N.C., Katherine Covington of High Point, N.C., and Laura Ball of Morehead City, N.C. A reception to celebrate his life will be held at the Kinston Country Club on Monday, January 6, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. He specifically requested that all friends are welcome. A private burial service for his immediate family will occur prior to the reception. Memorial contributions in honor of Felix Harvey may be made to Queen Street United Methodist Church and the Salvation Army, both in Kinston, N.C. Online condolences may be sent to howardandcarter.com. Howard-Carter Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

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