Larry Harvey's Cause Of Death: Burning Man Founder Dies At 70

Harvey died after suffering a stroke earlier this month, festival CEO Marian Goodell said.

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Larry Harvey, founder of Burning Man, smiles during the Burning Man 2011 "Rites of Passage" arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, Sept. 3, 2011. Photo: Reuters/Jim Urquhart

By Suman Varandani, International Business Times - Business

Larry Harvey, the man behind the Burning Man festival, died Saturday at the age of 70, according to the organization's website. Harvey died after suffering a stroke earlier this month, festival CEO Marian Goodell said.

"We resolutely held out for a miracle," wrote Burning Man Project CEO Goodell in the "Burning Man Journal." "If there was anyone tenacious, strong-willed and stubborn enough to come back from this challenge, it was Larry. Though we all hoped he would recover, he passed peacefully this morning at 8:24 a.m. in San Francisco, with members of his family at his side."

Burning Man, which is a multiday festival now held in Nevada, is dedicated to art and community. It was founded in San Francisco in 1986 as a bonfire ritual for the summer solstice. The event moved to Nevada in 1990. Tens of thousands of free-spirited revelers become part of the week-long celebration.

Harvey, a native of Oregon, grew up on a small farm outside Portland. He started Burning Man at age 38 alongside his friend Jerry James. Harvey was also an activist, artist and philanthropist.

"Larry was never one for labels. He didn’t fit a mold; he broke it with the way he lived his life. He was 100% authentic to his core. For all of us who knew or worked with him, he was a landscape gardener, a philosopher, a visionary, a wit, a writer, an inspiration, an instigator, a mentor, and at one point a taxi driver and a bike messenger. He was always a passionate advocate for our culture and principles that emanate from the Burning Man experience in the Black Rock Desert," Goodell wrote on the website.

Harvey is survived by his son Tristan, his brother Stewart and his nephew Bryan.

"Burning Man culture has lost a great leader and an inspiring mind. He adeptly interpreted the manifestation of what became a movement. I have lost a dear friend who I’ve known, loved, and worked beside for nearly 22 years. The loss of his presence in our daily lives will be felt for years, but because of the spirit of who he is, we will never truly be without him," Goodell added.