Martin Dirk Hartog Ph.D.

Martin Dirk Hartog, Ph.D
Martin Dirk Hartog (Marty), Ph.D, 75, of Hamden, husband of Therese L. Bennett (Terri), passed away at Yale-New Haven Hospital on August 29, 2025. Marty was born in 1950 to parents Dirk and Elsie Hartog (Koenig) and grew up in Mount Vernon, NY. Marty graduated from Mount Vernon High School and received his Bachelor's in Mathematics from Iona College. He then attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, before teaching high school math in Ridgefield, CT. He later received his Ph.D. in mathematics education at The Ohio State University.
In 1994, Marty started as an Assistant Professor at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, where he worked for over 25 years, influencing countless Connecticut educators through his teaching and mentorship. At Southern, he met Terri Bennett, the love of his life. They shared a love of music, biking around the local area, and partnering in games of bridge. Marty also loved to golf, play the guitar and sing, and he rooted for Ohio State football, and the New York Mets and Jets, which shows the strength of his unconditional love.
God was at the center of Marty's life. For 11 years he served as a missionary for the United Methodist Church in the Congo (Zaire), where he taught mathematics to local high school students at Institute Kitabataba in Mulungwishi and built a new school building in Kapanga. For over 20 years, Marty attended Hamden Plains United Methodist Church (HPUMC), where he served in church leadership positions, notably founding the HPUMC branch of the Dinner for a Dollar program.
Marty was predeceased by his parents, Dirk and Elsie, and is survived by his wife, Terri, their children, Will and Beth, and his siblings, Jack (Judit), Jan (Peggy), and Elise. Friends are invited to visit with Marty's family on Saturday, October 4th, from 9:00 -10:00 a.m. at Hamden Plains United Methodist Church followed by his memorial service at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marty's memory may be made to the 2025 Walk for ALS United CT�Team name Marty's Mathletes (secure.alsunitedct.org), or to the "Dinner for a Dollar" program at Hamden Plains United Methodist Church, 15 Church Street, Hamden, CT 06514. To send a condolence to his family, please see his obituary at www.beecherandbennett.com.