Chester Hart Obituary

Chester Hart SUMMERVILLE - Chester Charles Hart passed away the morning of September 11, 2013 with family and friends surrounding him. He lived in Summerville, SC, and quietly passed away while sleeping at the Summerville Medical Center. He was 95 years old, loved life, and lived to visit with his family and friends whom he loved dearly. He was born in 1918 in Sedona, Arizona to Edmond and Sarah Jane Hart. He grew up in Arizona before moving to Southern California, where he met and married his life-long love, Lois Bailey. They had one child, Charles "Corky" Hart, who blessed them with six grandchildren and seven great-grandchild (so far). When he met Lois, he was a minor league baseball player in Los Angeles, CA. Shortly after their marriage, they became Jehovah's Witnesses, and remained active as such their entire lives. In addition to living in Arizona, California, and South Carolina, he lived many years in Hawaii in order to participate in raising his great-grandchildren, just as he and Lois had done with their grandchildren on the Mainland. His parenting skills were incredible, and he taught his family so many things - things which each generation is passing along to the next. He loved passing the time by telling family historical stories. One of his favorite stories was about his first date with his then future wife, Lois. Though we had all heard it a thousand times, it was worth hearing a thousand times more just to see his face while telling the story - He loved her so much. The best way to know Chet was to know what his family thought of him. He was more than a father, grandfather or great grandfather to us all. He was our friend, our role model, our foundation. He didn't just teach us, he lead by example - showing us that we should love one another unconditionally and help others whenever possible. He devoted his life to his family and to his congregation and was always there for anyone when they needed him. Although we feel immense loss, we know we were blessed to have had him as our father, grandfather and great-grandfather and he will never be forgotten. Memories of watching baseball games, teaching us how to do repairs around the house, driving us to school and anywhere else we wanted to go to keep us entertained and happy, letting us win at a game of ping pong (he had a killer serve), and most of all, all the conversations. He always had something positive to say and could always make you feel better. As a minister, Chet married Micah to his wife, Mink. Micah summed the impact of Chet on his life when he said, "I only hope that I will be as great of a father, grandfather and great-grandfather as he was". Chet is survived by his wife, Lois (Bailey) Hart of Summerville, SC, his son, Charles "Corky" Hart, his daughter-in-law Melodie (Benford) Hart, and his grandchildren, Lisa Hart-Rabang and her husband Kimo (all of Summerville), Pennelloppe Hart-Allee and her husband Jim, Micah Hart and his wife Mink (Feist) Hart, Corey Hart (all of Portland, Or.), and Christopher Hart, of West Hollywood, CA. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, including Kimokeo, Dane, and Madisin Rabang; Sophie and Zane Allee, as well as Lily and the newest addition, baby Charles Hart. Chet was predeceased by his parents, Edmond Milton Hart (d.1963) and Sarah Jane (Williams) Hart (d. 1965), his grandson David Anthony Hart (d.1998), and his siblings, Lenore D. (Hart) Roberts (d. 1991), Edmond W Hart (d. 1969) and Raymond B Hart (d. 1986). The memorial will take place at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses at 1308 Boone Hall Road in Summerville, South Carolina at 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 21, 2013. Though we are all saddened by our tremendous loss, we are all so privileged to have had him in our lives. His life, through his stories, will live on for generations to come. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston