Joseph J. Hart IV

Joseph J. Hart, IV: Executive Editor of the Delaware County Daily Times
Joseph J. Hart IV, who rose from intern reporter to executive editor of the Delaware County Daily Times during a 40-year career, died Tuesday at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Darby, after being stricken at his Lansdowne home. He was 60 years old.
Born on Groundhog Day in Philadelphia, Mr. Hart grew up in Springfield where he was a former member of St. Kevin's Roman Catholic Church. A graduate of Cardinal O'Hara High School in Marple, he was editor of the newspaper there as well as at West Chester University. Mr. Hart also studied at the Poynter Institute, among other journalism think tanks.
During his college years, Mr. Hart worked with Daily Times veteran reporter Hal Ellis in the old Harrisburg bureau. In 1982, he was hired as an intern reporter by then-managing editor Linda DeMeglio, who eventually hired him as a full-time staffer.
""Joe was born 50 years too late. I always picture him as a skinny kid with a cigarette dangling from lip, wearing a fedora with a press card stuck in the band, pounding away on a manual typewriter and, in the end, smiling at the copy he had produced. Joe was a lot of things, but most of all, he was a newspaperman,"" said Frank Zini, former Daily Times city editor and now-retired New York Post managing editor.
Mr. Hart joined the Daily Times copy desk in 1993, then, five years later, became city editor, working closely with reporters to develop stories. Mr. Hart was named associate editor in 2004 and executive editor in 2020.
""When the MOVE trials were going on and the Philadelphia papers were on strike, Joe Hart carried that story for everyone in the region. He was a fine reporter and became a fine editor,"" said Ms. DeMeglio.
The 1986 trial that resulted from the 1985 bombing by Philadelphia police of the radical group, MOVE's, headquarters that left 11 people dead and incinerated 61 homes, was one of many national stories covered by Mr. Hart, who also reported on the plane crash that killed seven people including U.S. Sen. John Heinz in 1991, the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992, and the canonization of Saint Katherine Drexel in Rome in 2000. In 1988, Mr. Hart walked 125 miles from Washington, D.C., to Marcus Hook with a group of Vietnam veterans dubbed ""Delco Company.""
The recipient of many regional and state awards for his stories, headlines and editorials, he was proudest of being only the second winner of a Delaware County Press Club Award of Excellence for leading a series examining the plight of the mentally ill, ""Drowning in the Mainstream,"" inspired by the 1985 mass shooting by Sylvia Seegrist at the Springfield Mall that left three dead and six seriously injured.
As an editor, Mr. Hart was recognized for headline writing from the Philadelphia Press Association for ""Joy T.O. the World,"" which topped a story about the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Dallas Cowboys in a Christmas Day football game - with Terrell Owens as wide receiver. He coordinated the award-winning ""Century Marks"" series featuring gripping accounts of events over a 100-year period in Delco.
But his favorite beat was politics, and he was respected by members of both major parties.
""The institutional knowledge Joe had of the county, you can't replace that. He was the walking encyclopedia of Delco politics,"" said retired Daily Times Executive Editor Phil Heron.
From the moment he entered the newsroom as an intern reporter, Mr. Hart was a force to be reckoned with, said Patti Mengers who was a Daily Times staff writer for nearly 41 years.
""At barely 20 years old, he understood the responsibilities and the power of the press, and he loved every moment of being part of it,"" said Ms. Mengers. ""But what I'll miss most about him is his wit and kindness.""
Former Springfield Republican boss Charlie Sexton has in his finished basement a framed 1992 news story by Mr. Hart about former U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon's connections paving the way for Mr. Sexton's security firm to land a job guarding the Kuwaiti embassy in Washington, D.C. After years of an inherently adversarial relationship, said Mr. Sexton, he and Mr. Hart recently reconciled and would occasionally meet for lunch to discuss the issues of the day.
""I was a conservative Republican - still am. He was a devout Democrat, which I respect, but what I respect even more is that as a reporter and editor he always dealt in facts,"" said Mr. Sexton.
Mr. Hart also covered former Delaware County Democratic Party Chairman David Landau for many years when the Democrats were mostly Delaware County's minority party.
""Some people said the paper only covered the Republicans in the '90s, but the real issue was we, the Democrats, weren't making enough news,"" said Mr. Landau, who noted that Mr. Hart attended every Democratic press conference.
Mr. Landau said that now that the Democrats are in the majority, Daily Times coverage, overseen by Mr. Hart, has also been fair.
""He reported fairly and quoted accurately, which is all you can ask for. And he always took my calls as an editor. It's a real loss for the county, and he'll be missed,"" said Mr. Landau.
Former Daily Times reporter Adam Taylor took over the county and political beats after Mr. Hart advanced to the city desk in the 1990s.
""Hart was a pit bull of a reporter, demanded excellence as an editor, fiercely defended his membership as a union leader and was the one who worked the hardest to make sure the Daily Times crew from the '90s stayed in touch after we inevitably went our separate ways,"" said Mr. Taylor.
Andrea Getek Mulshine, a former Daily Times staff writer and journalism teacher, noted that Mr. Hart worked in the golden age of Delaware County journalism in the 1980s and '90s, when the competition among newspapers was relentless.
""Joe was game to beat the best of them. He was an amazing digger and a masterful interviewer. Joe was fair but tough in his coverage of crooked politicians, but when he spoke with the average Delco citizen, he was kind and patient. It was his style,"" said Ms. Mulshine.
Former Daily Times police reporter Rose Quinn said she felt as though she grew up in the newsroom with Mr. Hart.
""When it came to pounding out a story on deadline, he was the king. It was awesome to watch. I admired him as a colleague. Even more, I loved him as my friend,"" said Ms. Quinn.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter, Joby Warrick, also began his career in the Daily Times newsroom with Mr. Hart.
""Even then, in our early 20s, Joe set the standard as the quiet professional. He was a terrific reporter and a fine writer, but he saw his journalism as a public service, not as a platform. With Joe, you knew it was never about him,"" said Mr. Warrick. ""Joe was one of the most gracious human beings I've ever met in a newsroom. He exuded kindness and empathy.""
Throughout his career, Mr. Hart was a mentor to many young writers including William Bender, now a staff writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Catherine Donaldson-Evans, now deputy editor at What to Expect, a well-known parenting brand, and Adrienne Mand Lewin, now editor-in-chief of Diversity in Action, a national publication.
When Ms. Lewin was hired at the Daily Times in 1994, Mr. Hart was the city editor who ""proudly sported a serious mullet, had an infectious laugh and a talent for writing winning headlines.""
""As the rookie working lots of nights and weekends, I could count on Joe to teach me and I learned a ton from him, the consummate newspaperman in all the best ways,"" she wrote on Facebook.
Veronika Lee Daddona Claghorn, now a contributing writer for Backstage magazine, was a Daily Times editorial clerk when she worked with Mr. Hart more than 20 years ago.
""We all were blessed with his sparkling smile and trademark laugh. I'll never forget the lessons he taught me about writing and editing, but I'll especially remember all the fun times we had together outside of work, watching horror movies late into the night or spending entire days attending Broadway shows in NYC,"" she said.
When he became executive editor in 2020, Mr. Hart had the formidable task of working with a greatly reduced staff.
""The newspaper business has changed a lot in recent years, but no matter what new challenges came along, Joe was able to roll with them. I never felt like he received enough accolades for all that he did, because he quietly and humbly just went about doing his job, never seeking credit or recognition,"" said Peg DeGrassa, Editor of Town Talk and News & Press of Delaware County, who also writes for the Daily Times.
Alex Rose and Kathleen Carey were his two remaining full-time staff writers.
""I can't imagine how stressful the last few years were for him, the burden he was carrying trying to put this paper out every day with a skeleton crew. But Joe was very protective of the Daily Times and his reporters. He really shielded us from a lot, I think, probably more than any of us knew, "" said Mr. Rose. ""He was dearly loved and liked by a great many people, and I think that's the real measure of a person.""
Noted Ms. Carey: ""Because of his wisdom, his balance, his strength and news sense, I felt like there was connection, a team. I felt like no matter how challenging things got, we'd get through. He made you want to be a better writer and reporter.""
Mr. Hart's sense of community and compassion carried through to his private life including his rescue efforts for cats, union leadership with the Philadelphia Newspaper Guild and his years of volunteering for the board of the former Delaware County AIDS Network when there was no Delaware County health department to coordinate services for HIV+ individuals.
""There was no project too big or too small for him. He was always up for a challenge and ready to contribute. And with his knowledge of how Delaware County 'works', he was an incredible help in fundraising and obtaining grants. He had such love and respect for our clients and the problems they faced,"" said Dennis Murphy, former executive director of the Delaware County AIDS Network.
Former fellow board member Ray Smith noted: ""He had such warmth and vitality. When I worked with Davis Advertising placing ads in the Classified Department, we used to share stories about the newspaper biz. He was a natural storyteller, who always observed the positives and the negatives with great humor.""
Like his father, Mr. Hart was an avid Phillies fan. He proudly celebrated his Irish heritage and was a devoted uncle. Mr. Hart enjoyed travel, Broadway musicals, cats, ""Die Hard,"" ""Dark Shadows"" and newspapers. He was dedicated to the principle that a strong, independent local newspaper is essential to the maintenance of a strong community.
When he was named Daily Times executive editor, Mr. Hart declared, ""Following Phil (Heron) is a formidable task, but I learned so much from him and other great journalists like Linda DeMeglio, Frank Zini and Stu Rose, who hired me. These are very challenging times for our community and my industry. But I couldn't have better colleagues and I promise we will continue to give our readers the very best that we have.""
Mr. Hart was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Rosemary.
Survivors: Sisters, Jeanne Hart Schatzman of Millsboro, DE, and Rosemary Hart of North Hollywood, CA; brother-in-law Thomas Schatzman; nephew Thomas Schatzman; niece Megan Schatzman; grandnieces Lily Rose and Emily Grace; and kitties he rescued, Gavin and Kara.
Burial: Private
Contributions: Animal Friends of Lansdowne at https://animalfriendsoflansdowne.org./ or Providence Animal Center, 555 Sandy Bank Road, Media, PA 19063 or http//providenceac.org