Clifford A. Hartman

Clifford A. Hartman was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

       His parents were Adolph and Monica Hartman. Cliff was raised in Portland, Oregon. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Hartman household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Cliff was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Cliff was raised with five siblings. He had one older sister, Gina, and four younger brothers, Allan, Greg, Bob, and Tim. Cliff and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Cliff was always consistently loyal to his family.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Cliff as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He attended Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Washington and graduated from Yamato High School in Japan in 1964. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. Cliff was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Cliff always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

      On August 14, 1969 Cliff exchanged wedding vows with Yuko Noda at the reception center in Fukuoka, Japan. Compassionate and devoted to Yuko, Cliff held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Yuko and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      Cliff brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Cliff was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Cliff was blessed with two children, one son, Abraham and one daughter, Monica. They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Matthew, Toshio, Cody, and Ciera.

      Cliff greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Cliff enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Cliff was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was an administrative clerk. He was employed for 20 years by the United States Air Force and 15 years by the City of Las Vegas as a Corrections Officer. Cliff worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Cliff was an Air Force Veteran. He was in Japan from 1964-1975, he was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico from 1975 to 1980, and at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada from 1980 to 1985. Cliff served during the Vietnam War as a Morse Code Interceptor. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded Meritorious Service Award. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Cliff seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      Cliff liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Cliff always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were archery, motorcycle riding, crossword puzzles, bicycling, hiking, and exercising.

      Cliff found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included football. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, basketball, golf, tennis, boxing, and sumo-wrestling.

      Many organizations were grateful to have Cliff as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Cliff was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Cliff was an active member of the Archery Club.

      Cliff enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Cliff appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Cliff always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Hawaii and San Diego.

      Cliff was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Cliff’s favorites was Boomer, a German Shepherd/ Doberman mix. They were best friends for 8 years. His family was rounded out by his cat, Kiki and his other dogs, Yuki, Chibi, Corky, and Maggie.

      When Cliff’s retirement finally arrived in 2005, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating back to Las Vegas. In retirement, he found continued pleasure in archery, bicycling, hiking, camping, and motorcycle riding. Even in retirement, Cliff continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      Cliff A. Hartman passed away on October 12, 2013 at Las Vegas, Nevada. He is survived by his wife, Yuko; his children, Abraham and Monica; and his grandchildren, Matthew, Toshio, Cody, and Ciera. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary. Cliff was laid to rest in Palm Northwest Memorial Park in Las Vegas, Nevada.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Cliff A. Hartman. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.