Charles Atwood Hart

Chuck Hart, 84, of Pinkham Brook Rd in Durham, died Thursday July 17 at his home. He was born in Colebrook, NH on October 26, 1929, the son of the late John and Ida Hart. Chuck proudly served his country for five years in The United States Marine Corps as a combat engineer during the Korean Conflict. When his service time ended, he found himself in Portland, where he caught the eye of a lovely young nursing student. He would go on to marry the young woman who stole his heart, Charlotte Tibbetts, on August 28, 1955. The two were inseparable, being happily married for 47 years until her passing in 2002.

Chuck held several jobs over the years, including working as an aide at the Pineland Mental Health Institution, driving a school bus for the Durham Elementary School, and for the last 9 years he worked in the produce department at Food City in Lisbon. While he enjoyed all of those jobs, his passion was realized as a Square Dance Caller and Teacher. He did this for more than 30 years, often working long days at one job and spending late nights teaching classes. He and Charlotte traveled all over New England, attending dances and conventions. He particularly loved going to nursing homes to provide square dancing demonstrations for the residents, as he loved the joy it brought them, and was often told he had “the most wonderful singing voice”. Music was a big part of his life, especially early country and western, but his tastes ranged across many genres, from John Phillips Sousa to Jimmy Buffett. He even developed an appreciation recently for The Dropkick Murphys. He played several instruments, and although he could barely read sheet music, he could play most songs by ear after hearing them only once or twice. A founding member of AMVETS Post 13 in Durham, Chuck was one of the first Chapter Commanders there. He enjoyed a long and very successful bowling career, with a trophy room in his home that was filled with numerous awards and trophies. He was an avid outdoorsman, hunting and fishing whenever possible, from Maine to Alaska. It didn’t matter that he didn’t always bring home the big buck, or the trophy salmon; it was guaranteed that he would always have a good story about the adventure. And yes, the stories got taller as the years passed. Chuck was a lifelong photographer, and had a great eye for composition and lighting. His drawers were cluttered with photographs, many going back to his time in the Marines. He loved working in his vegetable gardens and maintaining his rose bushes and numerous flower gardens, where he truly had a green thumb. He took immense pride in maintaining his property, and keeping everything green and growing. He also had a deep love for animals, especially his two dogs Paden and Poncho, whom he both adored. He loved watching all New England sports, but especially the Red Sox. He would never hesitate to engage in a lively conversation about them, whether discussing how Pedro was the greatest pitcher he’d ever seen, or how badly they sometimes choked. He loved to tell the story of how his daughter Cheryl surprised him once with a limo ride to Fenway to watch Pedro pitch. He rarely missed a game, and studied the box scores every morning in the paper. Chuck is survived by his five children: Cheryl Hart of Scarborough, Waldo Hart of Oregon, Brian Hart and wife Martha of Auburn, Jane Hart and husband Carl Pelletier of Brunswick, Don Hart of Durham and Vicki Hart of Topsham. He had five grandchildren: Kate, Genny, Arthur, Kendrick and Hannah, a great grandson, Sean, and three sisters: Marie Sanville and husband Phil of Derby VT, Lorna Luce of Damariscotta and Dory Hart of Whitefield. He was predeceased by his brother Wilbur Singer.

Visitation will be at the Crosman Funeral Home; 40 Main St. Lisbon Falls on Friday July 25 from 4-6 PM, memorial service to follow at 6pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Chuck’s name to Durham Fire and Rescue. Donations can be made directly to Durham Fire & Rescue at 615 Hallowell Rd Durham, ME 04222, online at www.durhamfundraisers.com, or at Crosman Funeral Home. Because Chuck was a devoted gardener, the family invites any who wish to do so to bring flowers from their fields or gardens to add to memorial bouquets the day of the service.