Thomas Edwin Hart

Thomas Edwin Hart, 103, passed away October 19, 2016 at Westy Community Care Home in Westmoreland, KS. Westmoreland had been his home for 96 years. Born March 14, 1913, in Washington D.C., Tom was the second of six children born to Harry L. Hart Sr. and Bernice Heath Hart. While all new parents believe their children to be brilliant and talented, Bernice and Harry could never have imagined the 103 incredibly full years their son Tommie would live. In 1920, when Tom was 7, the Hart family left Washington D.C. and moved home to Westmoreland. There, Tom and his siblings made a playground of Mt. Ephraim, Rock Creek, and the surrounding area. As a boy, Tom worked as a delivery boy for the Saturday Evening Post. Later, hearing the drug store was looking for a soda jerk, he worked up his courage, walked into the store, and said to the owner, “I hear you’re looking for employment.” In spite of his nervous goof, Tom got the job. These experiences were the beginning of his strong work ethic. Tom attended Westmoreland Rural High School graduating as Valedictorian of the class of 1931. In addition to his academic achievements he was active in sports, playing basketball and running track. Between his junior and senior years, Tom worked on a road surveying crew. He credited this as being the experience that helped him most with success in his later career. Following high school, Tom attended Baker University where he again excelled in academics, sports (lettering in track), and social life. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity where he made lifelong friendships. With these friends, who became known as “The Big 6”, a scholarship was created to be awarded annually to a worthy fraternity member. He graduated in 1937 and was a devoted alumnus, attending annual reunions for the next 77 years. Tom married the love of his life, Doris DeVolld, on August 20, 1939 in Baldwin City, KS. The pair created a loving home for themselves and three children. The little house they built on the hill was a happy place for their extended family, friends, children, children’s friends, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, neighborhood children… It was home for Tom and Doris until they moved to Westy Community Assisted Living in 2011. Words cannot do justice to their relationship as it was one to which most of us aspire. They loved each other until death did them part - and probably beyond. After college, Tom returned to Westmoreland where he worked in his father’s business, the Pottawatomie County Abstract Company. Upon Mr. Hart Sr.’s retirement, Tom became the owner-manager of the business until his own retirement in 1982. He was a member of the Kansas Land Title Association (KLTA) and American Land Title Association (ALTA). He held the offices of secretary, vice president, and president in KLTA and was Title Person of the Year in 1981. He also served on the Abstractors Board of Examiners. Tom appeared in the American Land Title Association’s promotional movie, “The Land We Love” as an example of a small-town abstractor. Even though his career was in land title, Tom was a teacher at Westmoreland Rural High School from 1944-1946 during WWII when teachers were in short supply. He once said that he eventually taught every course except Home Ec. He also coached the track team at that time. It could be said that family was one of the most important aspects of Tom’s life. Many things could make him smile, but nothing more so than when he was with his family. He and Doris enjoyed the opportunity and ability to travel the country, be it for work or play, with family, with friends, or both. Tom was happy and comfortable in a station wagon, a pop-up camper, or a luxury hotel. He always put on a suit and tie for air travel. Tom was a natural athlete, and sports definitely made him smile. He participated in many athletic activities from childhood to old age. Baseball, basketball, track, coaching a girl’s softball team, golf, refereeing, water-skiing, and even leading an old-folks’ exercise class kept him in tip-top shape so that he could continue to climb a ladder to paint his house and play catch with his great-grandchildren. He water-skied into his 80s and played golf until he was 96. It is said that, even at 103 and wheelchair-bound, he continued to show up for exercise class at the Care Home. There wasn’t much that kept Tom Hart down. Mr. Hart was well-known and respected throughout northeast Kansas as half of the referee duo known as Hart and (Lloyd) Hope, sometimes referred to as “Hart-less and Hope-less”. For 35 years, he officiated high school basketball and football. He had some great stories of basketball games played in high school attics and football games he refereed all by himself. Childhood piano lessons grew into another pastime that made Tom smile - music. He played both piano and trumpet. Without formal musical training beyond those piano lessons, Tom directed the choir at Westmoreland United Methodist Church for almost 50 years. He was also a charter member of the Manhattan chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and served the organization in many official positions, including as first director of the chorus. Mr. Hart was a model and inspiration to many a future musician. Mr. Hart was community-minded and served his home community of Westmoreland faithfully. In 1938, Tom was a founding member of the Westmoreland Community Service Club, an organization that is still active today. He was a city councilman and served a term as mayor, was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department and of the Boy Scout Committee. He was a school board member for many years and served on the Westmoreland Housing Board during the construction of the Oregon Trail Apartments. Following in the tradition of his father and grandfather, Tom was a member of the Westmoreland Masonic Lodge #257 for 70 years. When the Corps of Engineers began to make plans to build what some referred to as “Big Dam Foolishness” - Tuttle Creek Dam - Tom was opposed. When it finally looked like efforts to block the project would fail, he decided to make the best of the situation. So, he bought a boat and a pop-up camper and began what would be a long tradition of family camping. In his lifetime he owned two different boats and taught several kids to ski, including two of his own, a son-in-law, a granddaughter and a grandson. His pop-up camper led to a pull-trailer and then a motor home that took the family to Tuttle Creek camping, Colorado and Branson family reunions, moving-home-from-Michigan trips (sister Helen), and youth choir trips across Kansas and to Branson. Thousands of marshmallows were burned, Barbershop songs sung, and stories told around the campfire on these memorable family trips. At the age of 103, Tom Hart was predeceased by almost everyone! In addition to his parents and four of his five siblings and their spouses, Tom’s losses include his grandson Judson Beck Hart (2001), his wife Doris (2012), daughter Denise (2013), and son-in-law Bill Hanson (2013). He is survived by his youngest sister, Mary Margaret Broadfoot, his children Carol Hanson and Jim Hart, son-in-law Michael Parker (Sandy), grandchildren Lauri (Steven) Hopper and Tom Hanson, John and Dan Parker, Grace and Jillian Hart, great-grandchildren Megan (Brandan) Ediger and Ben Hopper, and many nieces and nephews. Tom’s life will be celebrated on November 4 at Westmoreland United Methodist Church. A buffet luncheon will be served from 11:00 a.m. to noon in the Westmoreland United Methodist Church Education Building. Services will be held in the church at 1:00 p.m., with a graveside service immediately following. Upon return from the cemetery, the family will host a dessert reception in the Education Building. Please savor some sugar- particularly the chocolate kind - in memory of Tom. Memorial contributions can be made to the Kappa Sigma Big 6 Scholarship at Baker University with checks payable to Beta Tau Educational Trust, or to Westmoreland United Methodist Church. Contributions may be mailed to Stewart Funeral Home, P.O. Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.