Leonard P. "Lenny" Hart

Davenport, Iowa Funeral services and Mass of Catholic Burial for Leonard Patrick Hart, 85, a resident of Davenport, will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 8, 2012 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 422 E. 10th Street, Davenport. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be Friday, September 7, 2012 at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. There will be a prayer service offered at 4:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to WVIK-FM and the Scott County Democratic Party. Leonard Patrick Hart passed away on September 04, 2012, surrounded by family, at Genesis East Hospital, after a valiant battle for life that began several years earlier with a series of strokes. Leonard was born October 11, 1926 in Sigourney, Iowa, the youngest of three children to Joseph Francis "Frank" & Margaret (nee Strohman) Hart. He graduated from Sigourney High School in 1943 and later attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, where he expanded his love of music, theatre and language. He was among the early pioneers of television in Iowa, working at KCRG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he met a staff writer, Helen Machen, who would later become his wife and the mother to his five children. With a growing family to raise, and an undeniable gift for conversation, he went into sales. He retired in 1988. A lifelong member of the Catholic Church, Leonard had a deep and unwavering faith in God, and a commitment to human rights and social justice. His values were manifested through a life time of political action as a member of the Democratic Party. He volunteered in countless campaigns and public demonstrations. Lenny was a true romantic. He had a deep appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the world; that given by God and that born of the human spirit. He treasured the performing arts, particularly music. Leonard was one of the earliest members of both the Quad City Music Guild and Playcrafters, building some of their very first stage sets. He was blessed with a beautiful voice; he frequently sang along with his beloved tenors, Gigli and Pavarotti, and would just as easily chime in with a great Tony Bennett standard. Even in his last days, when his body and mind were failing, music always brought him joy and peace. More than anything, Leonard loved his family and often reminded his children that nothing mattered more. His happiest moments were undoubtedly those spent with his family around a beautifully set table, with a fine meal, good music and lively conversation. Lenny is survived by his sister, Marie (Don) Peiffer, Lubbock, TX; his five children, Joseph (Susan), Rock Island, IL; Cathleen; Patrick; Alison (Karl) Rhomberg, Davenport; and Chris (Kathy), New Lenox, IL.;13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, John Hart, and his infant grandson, Andrew Hart. Special thanks go to the staff of Riverview Manor, Pleasant Valley, for their loving care with his family in the final months of his life. Online remembrances and condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Lenny's obituary at www.hmdfuneralhome.com.