Ina Hark Obituary

Dr. Ina R. Hark, 75, of Columbia, died on Monday, August 18, 2025. Born on August 19, 1949, in Charleston, West Virginia, she was a daughter of the late Hershel Robert Hark and Annette C. Cohen Hark. Dr. Hark received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois and earned her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to her retirement in 2009, Dr. Hark was an English Professor and the founder of the Film and Media Studies major at the University of South Carolina. In 2015, the University of South Carolina established the Ina Rae Hark Award in honor to recognize a rising senior in Film and Media Studies with a strong academic record and outstanding scholarly engagement. Dr. Hark's areas of specialization include Hollywood Cinema, masculinity, and film genre. Dr. Hark was the editor or co-editor of Screening the Male, The Road Movie Book, Exhibition: The Film Reader; and Screen Decades: The 1930s. She had written more than thirty articles and chapters in media studies on topics ranging from Hitchcock to Star Trek. She was a member of the Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, SC. The graveside service for Dr. Hark will be held at 2 o'clock, Thursday, August 21st, at Greenhaven Preserve, 1701 Vanboklen Rd., Eastover, SC 29044, with Rabbi Erik Uriarte officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the animal rescue organization of your choice. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.