Nan Harvey, who provided inspiration to a generation of UB athletes through her work for gender equity, died Tuesday night after a three-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Since she came to UB as a college freshman in 1974, Harvey served as a player, coach, professor and administrator for UB's athletic teams. Most recently, as the Division of Athletics' senior woman administrator, Harvey oversaw 15 varsity programs and the division's compliance with Title IX.
In addition, colleagues and athletes said Harvey was committed to building a personal relationship with each of UB's athletic teams, a mission that did not waver during her illness.
"She was remarkable in the perseverance she showed throughout her battle with cancer," said Bill Maher, interim athletic director. "She put her energy into positively influencing her friends and colleagues, and she did that until the end."
As a student at UB, Harvey played volleyball and women's basketball. She graduated in 1978 with a degree in physical education.
In 1983, Harvey returned to the Bulls as a softball coach. Two years later, she won the SUNYAC Coach of the Year award after guiding the team to a 12th-place ranking in Division III softball.
Harvey has also served as an assistant professor in the Division of Athletics, as UB's women's basketball coach and strength and conditioning coach, and as race director for the Linda Yalem Memorial 5K Run.
As an administrator in the Division of Athletics, Maher said, Harvey was a daily voice for the advancement of women's athletic programs and gender equity initiatives.
Under Harvey's tenure as senior woman administrator, UB achieved compliance with the Title IX initiative, which mandates equal opportunities in athletics for male and female students. Maher said Harvey was particularly proud to achieve compliance without cutting men's programs.
"We wouldn't be where we are today if it wasn't for Nan's efforts," he said.
In addition to her work at UB, Harvey was a nationally recognized softball umpire. She umpired three consecutive Division III national championships from 1995 to 1997.
This year she was elected to serve a four-year term on the NCAA Division I softball committee. Her name appears on a plaque in the National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Softball was Harvey's passion, said Marie Curran, UB's head softball coach.
"Her legacy is going to be wonderful for us," Curran said. "She's going to make an impact on us in our memory as much as she did when she was here in person."
Last spring, Harvey announced a minimum gift of $200,000 to the athletics department in her estate. To recognize her gift, the department of athletics renamed the university's softball stadium in her honor on May 3.
Family members said the renaming of the field was particularly special to Harvey.
"I think that that was probably the ultimate compliment that they could have given her," said her sister, Alice Harvey.
Curran, like many of Harvey's colleagues, said her gift was an example of her loyalty to UB's athletic teams. She reflected upon the dedication ceremony at the Webster Road field last April.
"She would want us to remember the smile that was on her face that day," Curran said. "And how proud she was to be a member of our staff, the tradition and our family."
Family remembered Harvey similarly and said her open, warm nature were some of her most remembered qualities.
"I think the most important thing was that even though she was a busy person, she always took the time to listen to people and what they had to say was important, no matter who the person was," said her sister Alice.
Most UB athletes heard of Harvey's death at practices Wednesday. Members of the women's varsity crew team said they remembered her as their biggest fan.
"She was an avid supporter of our team," said Sara Sheffer, a varsity crew athlete and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. "She came out on the water with us at 6:00 a.m., when it was freezing cold. That's unheard of for an administrator."
According to Curran, Harvey had an equally strong commitment to each of UB's athletic teams.
"She invested that kind of energy into every program at UB," Curran said. "I think one of her greatest credits is that everyone's walking around [Alumni Arena] right now saying they were her favorite team."
"I think it was Marie Curran, the softball coach, who said she bleeds blue, and I think that if you checked her blood, it probably was true," said Harvey's sister Alice.
Calling hours will be held in Amigone Funeral Home, 569 Cleveland Dr., Cheektowaga, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today. Services will be held in Amigone Funeral Home at 9:15 a.m. Saturday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. in Infant of Prague Church, 921 Cleveland Dr., Cheektowaga.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
