James Everett Hart

James Everett Hart

James Everett Hart died at his home in Minneapolis of complications related to pulmonary fibrosis on Oct. 23. Because of his deep knowledge of music, the visual arts, philosophy, literature and more, one of his students at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute recently called him, "A Renaissance Man." His friends and family agree. He was 81.

Jim was born in Perry, Iowa, to Everett and Wadena Hart, graduated from Perry High School and attended Drake University in Des Moines. He moved to Boston in 1959 and studied at Boston University where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. Although he majored in music, especially pipe organ performance, he decided after graduation he didn't want to have a primary job in music. Instead he preferred to have it as an avocation and it remained important throughout his life. One of his part time jobs while attending university was at a high-end interior design firm where he learned about fine fabrics and wallpapers, skills he put to use in his later homes.

From Boston he moved to Cedar Rapids, IA, and worked for Xerox, where he received an award for a sales innovation. Also, while there, he was active in Vietnam War protests. He moved to Minneapolis in 1970 and worked for courier companies "driving truck," as he called it. He served as Music Director at the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis for a number of years where he created several programs such as an adaptation of Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," for four readers and music from a Beethoven piano sonata.

When he was 44 years old, he decided to become an attorney and received his law degree from Hamline University, St. Paul, MN. He joined a small law firm working for justice in Workers' Compensation cases. After retiring from active practice at 58, he continued to consult on legal matters.

In 1979 Jim co-founded The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company in Minneapolis and was its music director for many years. A highlight of the early years was a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Trial by Jury" for the Minnesota Bar Association. They raised the roof.

From 1988 - 1994, Jim played four-hand piano with his sister Nancy. They studied for a week every summer at a "Four-hand Fest" taught by the international piano duo of Weekly and Arganbright in La Crosse, WI, and later in New Albany, IN. Jim and Nancy gave several recitals in Minneapolis and Perry, IA. Jim continued with other partners for several years after that.

In recent years, Jim taught classes for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at locations around the Twin Cities on subjects such as Handel's "Messiah," Early music and Beethoven's music. He had an enthusiastic following of students there and found it personally rewarding.

Jim loved art and music and was happy to travel for them. Trips abroad included multiple stays in Vienna and Florence where he rented apartments and invited friends and family to join him. His other interests included: photography, genealogy, wood-working, gourmet cooking and play reading.

Jim was a loving father and is survived by his son, James Charles Hart, Minneapolis; also his sister Nancy Hart Newcomer, Fountain Hills, AZ; and loving partner, Brenda Graves, Sauk Rapids, MN. Memorial service to be held at a later date. Donations may be sent to the ACLU, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's OLLI Scholars Program Fund and The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.