Highland Park, Ill.—Beyond the rewards of industry, friendship was his currency and he spent it extravagantly, building an abundance of enduring relationships through the years. Irv Harvey was a thoughtful, caring man with an infectious sense of humor, an analytical mind and a compulsion to succeed. He was a man of vision and entrepreneurial ambition and rose from the ranks to become a highly respected leader of the carpet industry. He was a great benefactor, always helping people, always hurdling obstacles, until June 25, when he succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 75.

Harvey was born in Chicago, where he graduated from Senn High School and went on to the University of Illinois. After completing two years there, his father and sister died within a year of each other so he transferred to Roosevelt University in order to stay close to home. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1952 and that equipped him with the knowledge he would need to make his mark in the world of business.

Shortly after graduation, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and attained the rank of Sergeant before being discharged in 1954. In October of that year he launched his career in the floor covering industry as a sales trainee for Pinsky Floor Covering Co., a Chicago-based distributor. His dedication and work ethic advanced him to office manager and then salesman. He saw promise in the industry and opportunity in the future.

In 1958, he left Pinsky and formed his own sales agency with Phil Hymans. The young salesmen as Hymans & Harvey thrived for five years. In 1963, Harvey made the move that would prepare him for the pre-eminent position he would eventually occupy in the burgeoning floor covering industry—he joined Evans & Black Carpet Mills, then a prominent manufacturer. Harvey organized E&B’s Midwest Service Center and became the company’s first regional sales manager. The following year, he was elected vice president, and in 1967, he moved his family to Dallas to become director of marketing for the company. He learned quickly and he nourished his insatiable ambition with dreams of a company of his own.

And one year later, he lived his dream. In April of 1968, at age 37, he formed Galaxy Carpet Mills with Charles Bramlett, Bobby Mosteller and Irv Pomerantz. The company maintained its corporate headquarters in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and its manufacturing facilities in Chatsworth, Ga. It was successful from the start and grew rapidly in an industry that was highly competitive and vigorously expanding. In 1972, Galaxy became a public company, trading on the American Stock Exchange, with Harvey as chairman, president and CEO.

Harvey was an innovator and a visionary. In the early 1980s, he was one of the first to engage a famous designer when he commissioned Oleg Cassini, to create a unique carpet line for Galaxy. He worked tirelessly in the industry and in his personal pursuits. He was chairman of the Carpet & Rug Institute and served on its board of directors for 17 years and on its Executive Committee from 1973 to 1982. He was one of the founders of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF) in 1980 and served on its board and Executive Committee until his retirement. In 1983, he was honored as Man of the Year at the FCIF annual fund raising dinner. The Floor Covering Division of the Anti-Defamation League also named him Man of the Year in 1987.

“Irv was a man with tremendous pathos,” said Peter Spirer, a former chairman of Horizon Industries and longtime colleague. “He had a great sense of humor and he loved his fellow man. He was a wonderful, sweet gentleman. I loved him very much.” Bernie Wittlinger, who worked for Galaxy for many years, said of Harvey: “He was a good boss, always fair. He identified with people and always was good to employees.”

In May of 1989, Peerless Carpet Corp. of Montreal, Canada, purchased Galaxy, which had $270.5 million in sales in 1988. The combined volume of the companies, $489 million, boosted Peerless to the fourth largest carpet manufacturer in the world. In December of 1989, the acquisition complete, Harvey retired. Then, in December of 1994, Mohawk Industries purchased Galaxy from Peerless.

Irv Harvey was a man for all seasons, most importantly, for all reasons.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Marilyn; daughters Beth Dorfman, Jill Stein and Gail Joseph; three grandsons, David and Daniel Dorfman, and Jonathan Stein, and granddaughter Carly Stein.

He was predeceased by granddaughter Emily Dorfman, who died when she was three. Donations in his memory may be made to the Emily Dorfman Foundation for Children, P.O. Box 1082, Northbrook, Ill. 60065-1082.