Joseph Bernard Hart

Joe, as he liked to be called, was born on May 28, 1925. He entered his heavenly home Wednesday, May 15, 2013, just shy of his 88th birthday. He was born in the town of San Saba, Texas. His family moved to Llano, Texas at age 7, where he did the rest of his growing up. His elementary and high school years were happy, innocent times. Joe played football, appeared in plays and fished in the river which actually flowed right through his back yard. He enjoyed every minute with his close friends and those games and carefree times. In 1940 as a sophomore in high school he began to hear rumblings of an oncoming war. He was a sophomore at this time, his family was all versed in history, and they knew something was coming. His father, as principal of Llano schools required radio broadcasts of world news in classrooms. At age 17 he entered UT and at 18 he had enlisted in the Navy. He also had become enamored with golf about this time. As he turned 19 he found himself in Pearl Harbor on a light cruiser to the South Pacific where he joined the ship "The Baltimore". There were grueling experiences, such as the sight of a monster typhoon which broke another ship in two. Most of his time was spent in Okinawa and Japan. At the end of the war he extended his time to go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki just after the atomic bomb had leveled these cities. It was here that he tested torpedoes at a Japanese torpedo factory. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946, at the age of 21. Then it was back to the University of Texas to complete his degree. Jobs were scarce and he had some odd jobs until he was hired by General Motors-GMAC. By now, golf was a passion. He worked at GMAC 25 years. In 1973 he and Pat met, and even though he had never been married he chose to marry her and care for three lively daughters, Jaime, Dahna, and Susan. Their marriage lasted 41 years. The girls learned to love him with all their hearts. He is tremendously loved and respected by them and their husbands and his grandson Cameron. In 1991 they moved to Wimberley, and had 16 years of wonderful memories of friends and good times there. In these 41 years he was on the golf course weekly. The morning he had his first seizure he was getting ready to play. He will be acutely missed every day, and his loving kindness and generous heart will never be forgotten. He is survived by his wife, Pat Hart, children Jamie Elliotte and husband Mark, Dahna McCrorie and husband Neil, Susan Warlow and husband Christopher, and grandchild Cameron Warlow. Memorial services will be held at St. Andrew Lutheran Church 16320 Heubner Road, San Antonio at 2pm Friday, May 24. Memorials may be made to St. Andrew, or a charity of your choice.