Michael Joseph HART

Michael Joseph Hart

Michael Joseph Hart Jr., 71, of Forest, died Monday, June 29, 2009, in Lynchburg. He was the son of the late Michael Joseph Hart and the late Lucille M. Burghoff.

Born Nov. 25, 1937, in Meriden, Conn., Mr. Hart was a former resident of Leesburg, where he was a member of Leesburg United Methodist Church. He and his wife moved to Forest in 2001 and were members of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Mr. Hart played professional baseball for two seasons in the then-Milwaukee Braves' organization. He continued to love and follow the game of baseball and was a lifelong New York Yankees fan.

He attended the University of Connecticut before entering the U.S. Army, where he served for seven years. He ended his military career in 1962 as an aide to General Alva Fitch, U.S. Army Intelligence, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Hart retired in 1998 after 28 years with Ford Motor Credit Company. As the manager of Ford Credit's Washington, D.C., office, he also served as the liaison between Ford Motor Company and the U.S. House of Representatives. He enjoyed sports, traveling, gardening, reading, music and woodworking.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Phyllis Stafford Hart of Forest; his son, Chaplain (Capt.) Michael J. Hart III and his wife, Aimee, of Fort Benning, Ga.; his stepson, James L. Stafford and his wife, Betty, of Bedford; and three grandchildren, Sean Hart and Ethan Hart of Fort Benning, Ga., and Melissa Turner and her husband, Chris, of Bedford.

A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, 2009, at Tharp Funeral Home in Lynchburg.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Hart requested donations go to TRBC Missions Outreach, 1 Mountain View Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502.

Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family, (434) 237-9424. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.tharpfuneralhome.com.