January 27, 1945 - February 11, 2023 "each nail
grieves in its own voice
leaving the wood"
A fellow poet described this haiku by William Hart as "elegant, simple yet vivid..." That describes William Hart's personality as well. The vivid interior life, while not always easy on the artist, is the source of the gift he leaves for those who mourn him.
William "Bill" Hart, of Montrose, CA succumbed to Covid-19 complications caused by underlying lymphoma and respiratory issues. Born in Wichita KS, to William Joel and Louise (Loy) Hart, he graduated from East High (1963), then attended the University of Kansas (1963-67) and Wichita State University (1977-79). He received his Ph.D. in 1985 from the University of Southern California. Alongside his academic career, he worked in sheet metal-in fabrication at Cessna, and also in customizing and installation. In Denver CO and Ashland OR, he worked as an unskilled laborer while he developed a career in writing. His last teaching position was in the English Department at California State University, Los Angeles from which he retired in 2000 and devoted himself full time to his poetry and prose.
Bill's published fiction/memoir titles are Never Fade Away, Operation Supergoose, Roller Rink Starlight and My Friend Richard. His Midwestern short story collection Better Bring a Lunch is ready for publication. His haiku and tanka collections are Monsoon, Paris, Wildcat Road, Hard Bucks, Journeyman's Dues, Factory Stiff, On Cat Time, Rabindra Sarobar, Home to Ballygunge / Kolkata Tanka and Cloud Eats Mountain. His poetry won international as well as national awards. Bill also wrote and produced documentary films along with his wife Jayasri. Two of those, Roots in the Sand and Sisters of Selma have been archived for their historical value.
Sadly, Lynda, the daughter of Bill and his first wife Carole, predeceased him. But he is survived and celebrated by his wife Jayasri, brother John in New Hampshire, their families, generations of students, and innumerable relatives, friends, associates and well-wishers around the globe. Of the many heartfelt condolences, one was from an East High grad, "...he was my hero for a big part of my adolescence. I would like to have talked about that with him but I never could do it. Now I won't be able to." The most recent is from his partner in thematic rengay verse writing: "Bill's laughter, honesty, passion and good humor were some of his greatest gifts to me…" He closed with his favorite among Bill's haiku:
"sparrows pour
through a blue hole
into our gray world"
A California State University colleague said goodbye in Shakespeare's words: "Good night, sweet prince! And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" and then she added, "May flights of angels sing Bill Hart to his rest."
Final arrangements were made under the direction of Douglass & Zook Funeral and Cremation Services, Monrovia, California. Please visit their memorial page for William Joel Hart Jr.
https://obituaries.douglassandzook.com/obituaries/william-hart-jrA virtual memorial is scheduled for the 27th of March, starting 8:00am PST.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Mar. 12, 2023.