Services Today for Industry Pioneer Harold ‘Hotie’ Platt – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
EDITOR’S NOTE: Harold D. “Hotie” Platt Jr was featured in a Feb. 19, 2024 story by RVBusiness (“Descendent of Platt Trailers Shares Company’s RV History”), detailing Platt Trailers’ company history. Platt told RVBusiness that Platt Trailers was the original RV manufacturer in Elkhart County, with his grandfather, Oliver W. Platt, having started the company in 1934.
Well known RV industry veteran Harold D. “Hotie” Platt Jr., 91, of Goshen, formerly of Bristol, Elkhart, Eagle Lake (Edwardsburg), Mich., and South Bend, Ind., died at home in Greencroft on Sunday, July 14, while being cared for by Harold and Jessica Eichhorn under hospice care, according to his obituary.
Born July 3, 1933, in Elkhart to the late Harold D. and Margaret M. (Lilly) Platt, he was also preceded in death by a brother, James L. Platt, and a daughter, Karen Lynn Platt Eichhorn. Platt, viewed by some as the first RV builder in the Elkhart area back in 1935 (see Federow link below) in 1954 married Barbara G. Singer in South Bend, who passed away in 1988. He then married Gracielee A. (James) Matz on January 11, 1991, in Bristol, who, in turn, died in 2021.
Harold is survived by three sons — Kirk D. Platt of Goshen, Dan L. (Wendy) Matz of Elkhart and Jeff B. (Tammy) Matz of Niceville, FL; two daughters, Patti J. (David) Pittman of Bristol and LuAnne M. (Patrick) Van Kirk of Cassopolis, Mich. In addition to two biological grandchildren, Harold W. (Jessica) Eichhorn and Kyle A. (Erin) Platt, he had 14 step grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren.
Graduating from Elkhart High School in 1951, Platt attended Indiana University in Bloomington from 1951 until his graduation in 1955 where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing. Platt, who served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, began working with his father at the Platt Trailer Company and Platt RV Sales while, as an entrepreneur and businessman, he also worked in different areas including real estate and was affiliated over the years with Delta Epsilon Fraternity, the Elkhart Moose Lodge, the Elkhart Lions Club, CBMC, the Greater Elkhart Area Chamber of Commerce, Trinity on Jackson Church, Sunnyside Presbyterian Church in South Bend, Thursday 6:30 AM Men’s Bible Study, Eagle Lake Yacht Club, Boy Scouts and the YMCA. Platt volunteered as a Red Coat at Elkhart General Hospital and Greencroft Goshen Auxiliary and was a Sunday School teacher and facilitator as well as a Christ Care Leader for Stephan Ministries.
A “Celebration of Life” service will be held at noon today (Monday, July 22) at Trinity on Jackson, 2715 E. Jackson Blvd in Elkhart, and friends are invited to call an hour prior to services at the church. The Rev. Karen Koelsch will officiate and his cremated remains will be buried at a later date at Rice Cemetery. Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity on Jackson, Greencroft 1721 Greencroft Blvd. Goshen, IN 46526 or Harvest Community Church 17285 C. R. 34, Goshen, IN 46528.
