Sally Anne Hart

1944 - 2020

Sally Anne Hart passed away at her home, Overmeade Farm in Lenox, MA, on July 17, 2020 after suffering a long term illness. Sally's journey here on earth started on August 15, 1944 on an air force base in Tampa Florida, where her mother Jane F. Baver and father Dr. Charles L. Baver had been stationed during WW2. Returning home with her family to Pittsfield, MA shortly after the war, Sally attended Pittsfield public schools graduating in 1962 from PHS.

Throughout her childhood, she became an accomplished pianist, practiced ballet and discovered her life long pursuit of horsemanship at the Pittsfield Polo Club, where she received a trophy, two years in a row for falling off the most. By age 14, Sally joined the Pony Club and traveled all the way to Lakeville, CT to participate. After highschool she attended Pine Manor Junior College in Wellesley, MA and Vesper George School of Art in Boston, MA. Throughout her college education she also continued her education in horsemanship with Captain T. Frederick Marsman at the Dana Hall Riding School where she attained Grand Prix Dressage status. Upon returning to the Berkshires with her daughter Christine J. Hart, she met my father Kenneth H. Hart and they settled in for the long road here at Overmeade Farm in Lenox, MA.

My mom was for a lack of a better word, dedicated. She often worked 15 hour days that started with feeding the horses at 5 am and the turnout, followed by mucking out the barn and then often teaching and riding until 9 pm, but somehow always had dinner on the table at 5 and the house was always kept clean. A true force to be reckoned with. I remember the love she had for the countless students (Barn Rats) that she taught and helped raise for the 46 years she ran Overmeade. I remember her helping my sister make it all the way to Madison Square Gardens for the National Equine Finals and the countless hours she spent helping her prepare. The love and kindness she shared with folks who "couldn't afford" riding, but she would help figure out a way of making it possible for them to achieve their dreams in the craft. Her taking in students to live in her home to finish highschool when their parents moved away or when older students fell on hard times and needed to regroup. She always had time for me in all of this, even though I never became a horseman. She always supported me in whatever way she could with whatever adventure I dreamt up.

The last years of her life were hard and she struggled, slowly having to give up what had been her daily rituals of her life, but even then she put all in and loved her grandchildren completely. Teaching them to ride and more importantly how to imagine and take trips to imaginary places. She taught a lot of folks to live fully and see the beauty in simple things, like a snow covered field in winter.

Rest in peace sweet lady. She now goes on her last journey where she joins her parents, her daughter and her brother and sisters along with many others whose lives she touched that passed before her from our home and community here at Overmeade.

She leaves behind her husband Kenneth, son Matthew and daughter in law Kyra along with her three grandchildren, Anadelia, Zofia and Dillon and countless students who considered her to be their barn mom or at least a good friend and reliable confidant in the good and hard times.