SOLO Patient Travels “Happy Highway” on Final Road Trip

Harvey's Lehman-Peterson Continental Limousines

In June of 2009, Harvey Schofield entered one of his prize-winning vehicles in a local car show in Cherry Hill to benefit Samaritan Hospice’s Veterans Outreach Program. Harvey’s cars held quite a distinction and he typically entered (and ran) regional and national meets. Impressively, Harvey owned three of the remaining six Lehmann-Peterson Continental Limousines produced from 1964-1969 that were shorter than the standard 34’, an accomplishment he called “a modern miracle because it’s so statistically improbable that anyone of modest means could acquire that many of the remaining cars.”

Harvey would not typically enter local car shows, “but this one benefited veterans,” he said, “So I gave it a try.” Though he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Harvey was still feeling well enough to carry on with his normal activities. “I stopped by the Samaritan table” said the 74-year old Marlton resident, “and picked up a brochure to learn more about Samaritan just in case I ever needed them.” By late December ’09, his doctor advised him that the time had come to seek the help and comfort a hospice could provide rather than continuing curative treatments that were proving ineffective. Thinking back to his car show brochure, Harvey chose Samaritan. 

Harvey Schofield

When Samaritan began caring for Harvey, he lived in the home he had shared with his wife Elaine until she passed away – two weeks shy of their 45th wedding anniversary in 2004. His daughter Miriam and her husband Paul live locally with their son Paul Junior (PJ), who served as a great help to his grandfather during his illness. Harvey wanted to stay in his home, where he could be comfortable and close to the cherished items he had spent his life finding, acquiring and caring for.

Harvey enrolled in the SOLO (Samaritan Option for Living as One) Program which allows patients to stay in their homes even when there is no caregiver there for most or all of the time. His specific needs were assessed and with his interdisciplinary team, Harvey devised plans should the time arrive when he could not stay by himself in his home.

Gratified with the “immediate response by Samaritan’s clinical team and the quality of its people,” the retired industrial facilities design engineer used his time on Samaritan’s service to organize his affairs and stay as active as he could for as long as he could. He even put together a table of the things he cherished most – some of his trophies, Lionel trains, his wife’s hummels and photos of his family arranged in just the way he wanted them to be displayed at his memorial service. Ever the engineer, Harvey conceived a formula to describe his last months of life under Samaritan’s care: HS + SH = HHHH. When asked to translate the formula, he said, “Harvey Schofield plus Samaritan Hospice equals Harvey’s Happy Highway to Heaven.”

Harvey lets car show organizer John Giacoboni take a look under the hood

During his final weeks, Harvey attended his final car show – a showing of his prize cars in his driveway to John and Deborah Giacoboni, organizers of the Veterans Car and Bike Show that Harvey had attended nearly one year earlier. “He’s loving this,” said his daughter Miriam. “It’s like his last hurrah!”

Harvey Schofield died peacefully on April 30, 2010 in the Samaritan Inpatient Hospice Center in Mount Holly, NJ. In the days prior to his death, he learned of a special honor.  “This year’s 6’6” Best in Show Trophy in the Original Car and Truck category will be dedicated to Harvey Schofield,” said organizer John Gioccoboni. Somewhere on Heaven’s Highway, Harvey’s driving a Lehmann-Peterson Lincoln and smiling.

The 4th Annual Veterans Car, Truck and Bike Show benefitting Samaritan’s Veterans’ Hospice Services will take place at  Cherry Hill High School West, 2101 Chapel Ave. W, on Saturday June 25 (Rain date June 26) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information or to become a sponsor, call John Giacoboni at 609-780-6640.

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