Harriet Teuchert Ervin

Harriet Teuchert Ervin

1917-2009

Harriet Ervin, beloved

mother of Nancy Kleeman,

Shelley Ervin and John

Ervin, passed away on April

16, 2009. She was 91.

Harriet loved long walks in

her Balboa Peninsula Point

neighborhood in the ‘60s

and ‘70s, and was happy to

return to The Point in 2005

to live with her daughter Shelley and son-in-law Steven. She

felt a kinship with the sandpipers that used to follow her on

evening walks along the beach.

The first woman radio host in the OC, Harriet had

her own late night show on KOCM in the ‘60s. Gifted

with a sexy, Lauren Bacall voice, she got raves from loyal

listeners. She wrote, produced and did voice-overs in

commercials, and later became a publicist. An ardent art

lover, she helped put local artists on the map. Theatrical

and passionate about music (“ohhh, that Sinatra”) and

dancing, Harriet was famous for her zany brand of tap and

improvisational dancing, retaining the agility to perform

chorus-line style high kicks into her 80s. Completely

uninhibited, she couldn’t resist the urge to break out

in dance anywhere, any time. A dedicated activist, she

generously gave her time to many environmental and senior

justice causes.

She was an animal lover and especially fond of dogs,

seeking them out to pet on walks. “A doggie a day keeps the

doctor away” she’d laugh. She was always there to pet-sit her

daughters’ dogs.

Over her long life, all who knew Harriet were inspired

by her gypsy nature, joy of living and fiercely independent

spirit. She also leaves behind a large extended family, who

adored her colorful stories and off-beat humor. A one-of-akind,

Harriet will be greatly missed. A memorial service is

pending. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Guide

Dogs For The Blind, San Rafael, CA; (800) 295-4050.