Harvey L. Cleveland, 83, went to the great tractor pull in the sky on Monday, December 15, 2025. Born on the family farm in Brownington, VT to Everett P. and Theo (Jones) Cleveland he learned early about hard work, long hours and responsibility. He was a man of integrity and believed whole heartedly that personal responsibility and action helped build character, often saying: "You feel better if you can do it yourself."

As a young father, he moved to Connecticut in search of better job opportunities. As a naturally talented equipment operator he went to work building power lines to support his family and be close to his beloved sister, Lee.  Their two families spent a lot of time together, but he missed home and eventually moved back to the Northeast Kingdom and started his own business, Cleveland Equipment, at his home in Glover.  Being a skilled mechanic and excellent salesman, the business grew to encompass sales and repairs of farm machinery, logging equipment & supplies, construction equipment, small engines and more and moved to its central location in Barton until he retired in 2010. A fair deal was most important for his entire life, and he always had the best prices in town.

His retirement didn't last long, as he joined the team at J.P Sicard Inc. as shop manager.   He found the deals to support the crews and save the business money.  He took pride in organizing each job with equipment, materials & tools to be successful, all while keeping the company's equipment organized, repaired and in order.  As he retired from working for someone else, he came home to build a shop and got back to repairing old tractors and equipment.  He so enjoyed the visits with friends and family, sitting in the shop.  He was back to helping anyone who asked, moving things for his Amish friends and being available at a moment's notice.

All through the years Harvey could be found doing a wide variety of activities.  His love of tractor pulling was formidable and saw him pull in the entire Northeast of the U.S and Canada.  He would build his own pulling tractors, knowing all the right modifications to allow for the most pulling power at the end of the track-right when it counted.  He enjoyed getting his two brothers into tractor competitions and set countless others up to be successful in his favorite sport.  He was always willing to share his knowledge with advice and hands on applications- helping anyone who asked. He put in countless hours to support local tractor pulls and create new events. His many contacts, throughout the U.S and Canada, made him the go-to-guy for parts for any equipment and allowed him to make custom repairs down to the smallest detail.  He was a jack-of-all-trades, knowledgeable in plumbing, electrical, building, ground work and could fabricate anything that would solve a problem.

He was a Director of the Orleans County Fair for many years and President of the organization 2010-2013, where he brought a very successful following to the Fair and found ways to have events on the grounds every weekend from May thru October.  Fair time gate attendance came to an all-time high and the energy was electric.  He was proud to be involved in the preservation of his local County Fair and worked endless hours to bring new events and interest to his corner of the Kingdom.

His recreational time included snowmobile trips, typically with a group. He was always at the head of the pack, bringing you to a new place to eat or a fantastic look-out.  The day was a 200-350 mile trip that wasn't for the faint of heart.  He was a tour guide into the Northeast and Canada, always looking for a new trip and a group brave enough to keep up.

He loved spending time with his family, often at a tractor pull, but found time for long weekends at camp where he could enjoy the entire family coming together for Christmas in February and his birthday in July. Everyone enjoyed the festivities, one another's company and good food…without the distractions of TV and cell phones to get in the way. He truly listened to the conversations he had with his grandchildren, able to comment on a dance recital, a new doll, and how best to dig a hole or what makes a machine run.  He loved to play cards, was an avid hunter with tremendous knowledge of wildlife habits and he found unexpected joy in the many animals on the farm – imagine big, gruff Harvey talking to and feeding a tiny treat to pet sugar gliders, calling the house cat into his lap to watch TV, taking the dog for a drive to get ice cream, picking grass to hand feed the cows or bringing home apples to feed the retired race horses…what a softie.

His pace slowed a little in his later years, but he was determined to keep going.  He was still cutting firewood- cut, split & stack; plowing driveways in the neighborhood; doing all the things that caused him to get up early and get going.

Harvey is survived by Kim, his partner of 27 years; children Leigh Cleveland and wife Lisa of Manchester, CT, Laurie Cleveland and husband Thomas Marvin of Ellington, CT, Kirk Cleveland and wife Jennifer of Barton, VT, and Morgan Cleveland of Barre, VT; Kim's son Stephen Vance and partner Michelle of Glover, VT; step children Shanna (Travis) Glodgett and John Johnson; grandchildren Alicia (Nick), Lance (Alishia), Abbie (Kyle), Issac, Kylie (Bryan), Isabella, Scarlet, Rocky, and Gracie, and great-grandchildren  Mia, Koralynn, Everett, and Oakley.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings Marlene "Lee" Dickey, Frederick Cleveland and Ernest Cleveland. Many of his friends predeceased him as well- he thought of them often and spoke fond memories of them all.

A Memorial Service will be held in the spring- including a Tractor Pull and the introduction of the Harvey Cleveland Memorial Kids & Novice Tractor Pulling Club.

Memorial Donations: Please make donations to your favorite charity in Harvey's memory or maybe consider bringing a donation, in the spring, to support the tractor pulling club which will be a long term commitment to the local pulls.

Knight Funeral Home of White River Junction, VT assisted with arrangements.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.knightfuneralhones.com.