Bert Henry Hartzell

Bert Henry Hartzell December 5, 1913 - August 14, 2009 Bert Hartzell, Santa Clara resident since 1948, died on August 14, 2009 in Santa Clara after a short illness. He was 95 years old. Born in southeast Nebraska, Bert led a long and interesting life. Growing up as a Nebraska farmboy, he went on to become a navigator in the Army-Air Force and was part of the infamous Doolittle's Tokyo Raid and Midway battle. He and his wife, Shirley, settled in Santa Clara and became active participants in the community. Bert had an optometrist practice in downtown Santa Clara for many years. Bert and his wife loved traveling around the world and one of their favorite ways to travel was on cruise ships. Bert will be missed by his large family, including his daughters Sherry, Susan, and Kaye, and his son John along with 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. We will miss his "story" and his friendly, outgoing personality. He was famous for his many hats and was remembered by many as "the guy with the hat". He never passed up an opportunity to start a conversation and was remembered fondly by all who met him. He has rejoined his wife of 67 years where he will pass eternity with the love of his life. The family welcomes all who knew and loved Bert to a celebration of his life on Monday, August 24th at 3:00 pm at the United Methodist Church, 1700 Lincoln St., Santa Clara, California.