Richard Hood Hart

On June 17, 2024, at the age of 78, Richard Hood Hart Jr. passed away with his sister by his side as he listened to her read Robert Frost. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest with a private burial following in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends for a visitation from 5:00 – 7:00 pm on Friday evening at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 Hwy 277 South.

Richard was born on April 19, 1946, in Abilene, Texas. He graduated from Cooper High School and McMurry University. He also earned a PhD in English from the University of Texas at Austin. During his time at UT he enjoyed serving as a Freshman English TA and extended his time there so that he could continue to teach. He would talk fondly of Austin where he was able to maximize his education, form enduring friendships and play weekly rounds of golf – often at Muny, which was his favorite Austin course.

Richard returned to Abilene and worked as a crude oil trader. He was kind, intellectual and witty. He loved to spend time with family, read literature, and play golf. Over the years he developed a reputation as an expert golf teacher amongst friends and family, and he enjoyed helping others improve their golf game.

He was a loving father and was always there for his daughters: he volunteered at their schools as a homeroom parent and reading mentor, arranged for horseback riding and tennis lessons, and supported them at their choir concerts and tennis tournaments. He loved their family trips by train to the Little House museums in Missouri as well as their yearly trips to Port Aransas with his sister. One of his lasting legacies will be the birthday poems he wrote for his daughters well into adulthood.

He embraced his role as Granddaddy and particularly enjoyed singing to his granddaughters. He lived the last ten years of his life in Austin where he cherished time with his family.

Richard was preceded in death by his fathers, Richard Hood Hart and Frank C. McFarland, and by his mother, Jeane B. McFarland. He is survived by his daughters Sarah H. Micke (Kevin) and Emily H. Rhode (Brandon); his sister Amy M. Pro (Gilbert); three granddaughters: Linden Anne Micke, Hannah Hart Micke, and Madeleine Elizabeth Rhode; a niece and nephew: Melissa P. Wilkinson (Dennis) and Jeffrey P. Pro (Katie); and a great niece and great nephews: Molly Wilkinson, Dennis Wilkinson Jr., Watt Wilkinson, Aidan Pro, Brady Pro, and Charlie Pro, along with many other family members.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the care provided by Suncrest Hospice and Brookdale Beckett Meadows. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Muny Conservancy, or a charity of your choice.