Harvey Freese, 97, of Vacaville, passed away peacefully on May 5 while surrounded by his family. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 3, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1791 Marshall Road in Vacaville. Following the Mass and reception, he will be laid to rest at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. There will be a viewing and the rosary will be recited on Sunday, June 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Vaca Hills Chapel, 524 Elmira Road in Vacaville.

Harvey was born in Crawford County, Iowa, on Dec. 21, 1921, to John and Katie Freese. The oldest of five children growing up during the Great Depression, his family moved around the Midwest in search of work. They eventually returned to Iowa where he met the love of his life, Marie Riedell. They married on Jan. 31, 1948, and happily raised their 10 children together until Marie's death in 2014. Harvey told one of his granddaughters that his proudest achievement was "a healthy wife and 10 healthy children. They got a good education, got a lot of capabilities. If you have that, you have a lot of things."

A Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force, Harvey served his country 30 years with tremendous integrity. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps—which eventually became the U.S. Air Force—because he saw limitless opportunities, and thought the food was better than what was offered in the Navy. While at basic training, officers recognized his mechanical acuity and placed him on an accelerated path to becoming an aircraft electrician. During World War II, he was deployed to Iwo Jima. He earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, for going "above and beyond."; for him that was just standard operating procedure.

It was the simple pleasures that brought Harvey joy: spending time with his family and friends, petting his beloved cats, and growing tomatoes and oranges in his garden. He would say of himself, "I am what I am and I did what I did." A master of carpentry, Harvey could always be counted on for advice about home and auto repair. He would send his children and grandchildren home with detailed sketches and instructions for their projects. Often, he would show up offering to lend a hand and hang out, gladly accepting a cup of Folgers instant coffee as payment. To work alongside this dad, grandpa and friend was to know him.

A devout Catholic, Harvey valued fellowship and was mindful of other denominations. When leading the prayer at a family event he would acknowledge people of all faiths. He would often read the Bible and recite the rosary daily.

Harvey is survived by his sister Gertrude; brother Kenny; daughters, Marie Ann, Annelise (Valentin) and Jo-Anna (Ted); sons, Harvey (Marcia), John (Jana), Vincent (Karen), Anthony (Jorgina), David (Heather), Luis (Kim) and James (Shelley); grandchildren, Christina (Jay), Karen (Zack), Jon-Michael (Christina), Nicholas (Shannon), Katie (Lee), Matthew (Leandra), Stephanie (Brent), Christopher (Anabel), Noelle, Neil (Emily), Bryce (April), Curtis (Lacey), Elizabeth, Jackson, Turner, Cooper, Lauren, Lucie, Sarah, Grace, Zachary and Sophia; great grandchildren, Maddie, Drew, Charlotte, Amity, Charlotte S, Cassidy, Cadie, Caughnery, Lorelai, Penelope, Ian, Noah, Henry, Addison, Marlow, Garrett, Hunter, Arianna, Ellanora; great-great-grandchildren River and Willow. He was preceded in death by his wife Marie, parents John and Katie, brother Marvin and sister Ruth. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Funeral Arrangements by Vaca Hills Chapel, 707-446-3233, www.vacahillschapel.com