Harvey Leroy Bainter, Jr. (1953-2013)
BAINTER, CUTLER, HAYNES, WHITMER, KNAUS, GARTIN, LARSON, WILSON, ROBERTSON, WOLF
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 9/22/2013 at 01:23:16
From Chet Ryan Mortuary obituary, Nevada, Story County, Iowa:
On Saturday, August 31, 2013, Harvey Leroy Bainter Jr., 60, passed away peacefully after a hard fought battle with acute liver failure at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, IA. He was surrounded by his loving family & close friends. Harvey was born August 3, 1953, to Harvey & Helen (Cutler) Bainter in Des Moines, IA. He was the third of twelve siblings. He lived in Des Moines during his Grade School years & moved to Nevada with his mother & step-father just before starting 7th Grade at Nevada Junior High. He wrestled & played football in Junior High & was a starting tackle on the Nevada High School Varsity football team his Sophomore year. His most proud moment as a high school football player was when ISU Head Coach, Johnny Majors, came to meet with him after a practice. He graduated from Nevada High School in 1971.
On Saturday, June 12, 1971, Harv married his high school sweetheart, Sherri Haynes.
They celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary just this year. After graduation he attended DMACC in Ankeny and received a degree in Welding & Metal Working. He loved making things with his hands. In 1973 he enlisted in the US Army with an MOS of welding. He finished an 18 month AIT training in Aberdeen, MD, in only 10 weeks. While stationed at Fort Riley, KS, Harv received a Presidential Commendation for his welding shop on post because he had no demerits during an AIG inspection that lasted 4 ½ hours. Also while at Fort Riley, the Post Commander at that time was a fanatic about keeping his base free of trash. So for his retirement from the Army, Harv was commissioned to design & fabricate a miniature, completely functional model of an Army garbage truck.
Upon returning home he got a job at Beer Trucks USA in Ames, IA, where he met his future partner "Chick". They opened up a shop in Hampton, IA, and named it Farm Trucks USA. Harv built custom frames, hoists, & boxes for farm trucks with customers coming as far away as Ohio. After parting ways, Harv returned to Nevada with his wife & 3 sons & got a job at Almaco on July 3, 1979. He worked there until July 5, 2013.
"Coach Harv" was "born" on the side of his oldest son's soccer field when "Little Harv" was 7 years old. He was completely hooked from that day on. He loved the game of soccer but he loved the interaction with the kids even more. "It's all about the kids" was his belief. The transition from coach to Nevada Soccer Club Field Director & on to President was seamless. His main goal was always to make sure that every child who wanted to play soccer had the opportunity to do so. He, with the help of his sons' teams, & other members of the Nevada Soccer Club held clinics in many central Iowa towns to help them start soccer clubs in their towns. He was known, respected & easily recognized by the whole soccer community in Iowa, both in youth soccer & then high school.
He took two youth soccer teams, the Nevada Sidekicks & the Nevada Twisters, to the Schwan's USA Cup in Blaine, MN. It is the largest international youth soccer tournament in the world. He also took the Nevada 76ers to a tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And there were too many other teams & tournaments to list. He loved it all!
With the help of many soccer enthusiasts in Nevada, Harv was able to get boys soccer added to the list of High School sports here in Nevada. He was hired as an assistant coach in 1999. His first season as head coach in 2000 was when his boys won the State Tournament in Muscatine. He continued as the head coach through the 2007 season when a neck surgery sidelined him. He returned in 2008 as the assistant coach & retired permanently after the 2012 season.
Harv also liked fast cars & trucks with big engines. He loved truck & tractor pulls & was all too happy to help with whatever projects the Grismore & Myers boys were working on. If somebody said it couldn't be done, he found a way to do it. His crowning achievement in fabrication in Nevada has to be the 8 foot steel soccer ball that he gifted to the Nevada Soccer Club. It resides at Harrington Park and continues to be a visible tribute to his "larger than life" personality.
He was so proud of all of his children, grandchildren and all of "his soccer kids". He enjoyed attending their Nevada Cub sporting events, watching them all grow up, go off to college, get married & start their own families.
Harv is survived by his wife, Sherri, sons: Harvey Bainter III (Sue) of Marshalltown, IA, Jason Bainter of Nevada, IA, Jacob Bainter (Stacey) of Nevada, IA, daughter: Rickie Whitmer (Kirk) of Nevada, IA. Grandchildren: Alex Bainter, Trista Bainter, Dawson Bainter, Logan Knaus, Catey Knaus, Jocelynne Bainter, Gage Bainter, Harvey Bainter IV, Patrick Bainter, Emma Bainter, Owen Whitmer. Brothers: Terry Bainter (Leisa) of Altoona, IA, Patrick Gartin of Springfield, MO, Martin Gartin of Austin, TX. Sisters: Kim Bainter of Nevada, IA, Rae Larson (Mike) of Webster City, IA, Shawneen Wilson (Scott) of Des Moines, IA.
Harv was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Stephen Bainter, Ricky Rose, Randy Rose, sisters: Jeannie Robertson, Sharon Wolf.
A celebration of Harv's life will be held Sunday, September 15th, at the Nevada High School Gym beginning at 2:00 pm. After a brief reading by Mike Larson, family and friends will have the opportunity to come up and share memories of Harv.
A memorial fund has been established in loving memory of Harv.
Chet Ryan Mortuary in Nevada has been entrusted with the care of Harv and his family.
http://www.chetryanmortuary.com/
Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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