Leap year baby turns 15

• Roger Harvey

Roger Harvey

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WORTHINGTON — If the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) adhered to leap years, Roger Harvey will be getting his driver’s permit today.

Born on Feb. 29, 1952, Harvey has only had 15 birthdays, counting today, but his family has always ensured that he never missed out on yearly celebrations.

“We would celebrate it on the 28th or the weekend before it,” he said on Tuesday from his upholstery business on Kragness Avenue.

“You still turn a year older even if the date isn’t there.” Harvey said.

As a child, he said it was difficult to grasp why he’d only have a birthday once every four years.

“In school, kids found it fascinating when they knew about my birthday,” he added. “Kids are young. They didn’t understand.”

Harvey said that in the 15 years he’s had a Feb. 29 birthday, he’s only missed a party “once or twice” before he was married.

In addition to the annual acknowledgement of his birthday, Harvey’s wife, Cindy, has taken up the role of planning a party once every four years.

“We’ve done a few surprises but usually it’s hard to keep bigger parties a surprise,” Cindy said. “

One particular surprise party that Harvey fondly remembers was not during a leap year.

“It was when I turned 50,” he explained.

Last weekend, Harvey was joined by family and friends for his 15th birthday celebration at the Elks Lodge.

“It was nice to have him (Roger) there because he suffered a minor stroke about a month ago,” Cindy said.

After a weekend of celebrating, today is just another day of work for him at Harvey’s Upholstery.

“When you’re self-employed you don’t get many days off,” he said.

Harvey has been an upholster since he graduated from high school.

“I started as an apprentice at Hintgen’s Upholstery,” he explained. “I worked for him for 17 years before I bought over his business in 1987.”

As he looks forward to his next birthday, he said he’s noticed how time goes by faster.

The odds of being born in a leap year are 1 in every 1,461 people, and Harvey considers himself one of the lucky few.

“We’ll just have to look and see how many babies are born today,” he said.

Daily Globe Reporter Ana Anthony can be reached at 376-7321.

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