Harvey Bellman – renaissance man eulogized
Film & stage actor, company spokesman, community organizer, Everyman. Harvey Bellman died June 10, 2016 of heart failure one day after his 70th birthday celebration. He was surrounded by his friends and family.
At the end he had his wife and children bedside to comfort him.
Survived by wife, Anne Justiss, Sister Marsha Hanau,
Son Michael Bellman, Daughter Rachael Estrada, Step-Daughter, Adrianne Justiss and Harvey’s 4 treasured grandchildren…Shoshana, Zoe, Gertrude & Maxim.
Celebration. All friends are welcome to attend his celebration of life
Sunday July 10 at 12 PM – 3 PM
Unitarian Universalist St. Pete
100 Mirror Lake Dr N, Saint Petersburg, FL
Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1739811346277484/
Community calendar:
http://uustpete.org/2016/06/15/celebration-life-harvey-bellman
After his military service in Biloxi, Mississippi, he married his first wife, Barbara Greene and relocated to Tampa, Florida in 1972. They had two children together.
Harvey became involved in a start up company called Drapeman textile outlet. In addition to sales and management, because of his love for acting and showmanship, he’d don a blue superhero suit with a big red D. For many years he was local spokesman & personality “Drapeman”.
Acting. A star of many community stage performances. His great love for the stage spanned over 50 years. Locally he was very active with the Village Players in Valrico, FL.
Masque community theater in Temple Terrace and others too numerous to mention.
While not a household name, he had many small parts in television and cinematic roles. His most noted speaking role was in the film ‘My Girl’. He also met Tim Burton while cast in the film Edward Scissorhands.
Harvey enjoyed music and it was influential in all facets of his life. While working at the Palladium Theater, he and Anne served as chorus members for early productions of the St. Petersburg Opera Company. Harvey supported and sometimes participated with community radio station WMNF. He supported that station in every way that he could.
Healing & community
During his many battles with heart disease and cardiac surgeries; Harvey gained the “patient’s perspective”, and came to appreciate how very therapeutic laughter and personal visits are in building health and healing. He used one of the comic characters he and Anne developed to visit patients in skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, prisons, and churches in Florida. Then “they took their show on the road” as Dr. Harpo Marx and O.Nurse, living in a borrowed mobile home touring the U.S.
While passing through North Carolina, he happened upon the making of “Patch Adams” the movie, where they stopped to work a week as “background actors” in the production. He enjoyed the making of the film with Robin Williams starring and he also became acquainted with Patch Adams, who remained a friend and correspondent.
Harvey and Anne organize and lead “Intergenerational Day”: nurturing, loving, community events. Eventually, “Intergenerational Day” became Intergenerational Festivals, Inc. a not-for-profit corporation using creativity to bring the generations together.
He also volunteered for various community radio projects including reading for the blind.
When not acting for the sheer thrill of it, Harvey would be involved in some grassroots community event or organizing it.
Friendships. Harvey was your friend from the time you met him. He never forgot a name and the stories you shared. Please come and share another one.
If you have pictures to share, please email them or post them in the facebook event
