John C. Hart

It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected death of John C. Hart on the morning of August 28, 2022. John was born on April 29, 1945, to Eleanor and Clifton Hart. Growing up in Chicago he attended St. Viator’s Elementary and Weber High School before graduating from Loyola University with a B.A. in History. He then began studying law at Northwestern University.

Having been introduced to each other by their mutual best friend, John met Dianne Lynn Wenzel and the two were married after their courtship on January 18, 1969. Six weeks after the wedding, John left for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, but he never envisioned Texas would eventually become his home.  John and Dianne welcomed their first son, David Clifton, while John was serving in the US Air Force in Grand Forks, North Dakota. While still in the service, John convinced the dean at the University of North Dakota to allow him to finish his law degree while serving on a missile launch control crew in the Air Force.  He graduated from law school in 1972 and a month later finished his four-year commitment with the Air Force.

John first began practicing law with the Robins, Davis and Lyons firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota and their second son, Steven Philip, was born in 1974. John continued working as a reservist in the Air Force, eventually retiring with the rank of Major. In 1978 he was offered the opportunity to become managing partner of the Robins' satellite office that was to open in Dallas.  In July of 1979 the Harts moved to Texas where their daughter, Kristin Dianne, was born that October.

John practiced law with several law firms in Dallas and eventually formed his own LLP. He specialized in litigation and was a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association and the Loss Executives Association. Practicing law was more than a job for John; it was an avocation. However, when he retired in 2021, after practicing for more than fifty years, he finally had time to pursue other interests.  A lifelong learner, John would spend countless hours reading books on World War II and American politics. He had even begun auditing a history course at the local community college where he would often stay after class to have discussions with his professor.

Although John lived with cerebral ataxia, a progressive disorder that began in his forties and affected his balance, he never let it slow him down. He learned to live with the condition that landed him in a wheelchair the last ten years of his life. In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting and going to the gun range and shared that love with his sons and eventually some of his grandsons.  When his boys were young, he coached their baseball teams and youth baseball became the sport he enjoyed watching above all else. Later in life when his grandsons started playing baseball, John could often be found at the ballpark watching their games and cheering them on.

John and Dianne were married for 53 years and blessed with eight grandchildren: Connor, Carson, Chandler and Caitlyn, Ethan and Aidan, and Evan and Dylan. John was so proud and supportive of everything his grandkids were doing, whether it was playing sports, performing in the band or on the stage, reading stories they had written or just spending time with them.  He truly loved being a “JaJa". He was a friend to all and will be missed dearly.

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” - George Sand

A celebration of John's life will be held at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 6411 LBJ Fwy, Dallas, Texas on Thursday , September 15, 2022 at 11:00 am . He will be laid to rest at a private ceremony at the DFW National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to a favorite charity.