His wife, Cynthia Harshaw, said his death came as a shock to many because he had been so active.
“Everybody is so overwhelmed. They just can’t believe it because they just saw him,” she said.
Delvin Harshaw, of Springfield, spoke recently at the Martin Luther King Jr. banquet at the Courtyard Marriott.
He was one of the first black reporters at the News-Sun when he was hired in 1969. He retired in 2004.
Harshaw was known as Snoop, Clark Kent and other nicknames, his wife said, and he prided himself on developing sources in the community by working outside the newsroom.
Former News-Sun Publisher Bill Swaim and Managing Editor Jack Bianchi said Harshaw worked largely as a police reporter.
“He was our eyes and ears at the police and sheriff’s department as well as the fire division,” Bianchi said. “If there was a major crime or fire, Del always had a contact who provided information that exceeded what you would find on the official reports.”
Swaim and Bianchi both said their thoughts are with the Harshaw family.
Harshaw was well known in the community because of his work at the newspaper and his involvement in various clubs and organizations.
He was chairman of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Madison Counties, and was also involved in the local Fatherhood Clark County group, the Frontier International Springfield Club, Urban Light Ministries and many others, Cynthia Harshaw said.
“He just liked serving,” she said. “He didn’t want to be paid for anything. He just wanted to serve and make other people’s lives better.”
His wife and others said he will be missed.
“I’m going to miss his humor. He was a happy-go-lucky person … His infectious smile. He was very smart,” Cynthia Harshaw said. “He loved his friends. He just loved his community. He always wanted to help people do better and be better. He was a wonderful person.”
Harshaw, a 1963 graduate of North High School, is survived by his wife of 43 years, two sons, Delvin Jr. and Sean, five grandchildren and a grandchild.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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