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 in New Rochelle, NY. He continued to pursue a career in education, attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, before starting to teach high school math in Wisconsin and later in Ridgefield, CT.

God was at the center of Marty's life; in 1978 he was called to a life of service to the Lord and became a missionary for the United Methodist Church in the Congo (Zaire). During his 11-year tenure, Marty taught mathematics to local high school students at Institute Kitabataba in Mulungwishi. He later was instrumental in building a new school building in Kapanga, eventually serving as its principal. He always held the African community in his heart, returning in 2012 to lead a curriculum workshop for elementary school teachers.

During his time in Africa, Marty saw the need for educators to train new teachers. Upon returning home, Marty found his next calling and returned to school to get his Ph.D. in mathematics education at The Ohio State University (OSU). During that time, he continued to serve and worship the Lord at the King Avenue United Methodist Church in Columbus.

Marty graduated from OSU in 1994, and the following fall started as an Assistant Professor at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. After 25 years of dedicated service, he retired as a full professor and continued to teach as an adjunct through 2025. He loved his job teaching primary and secondary school teachers, and countless Connecticut educators were influenced by his teaching and mentorship.

His time at Southern was all the more special because that is where he met Terri Bennett, the love of his life. They married and began their life together in 1998, and theirs was a marriage built on friendship, love, and mutual respect. Marty and Terri bonded over their interests in music, biking around the local area, and partnering in games of bridge. They built their family together as whole people, supporting each other's individual interests.

Marty loved to golf; friends and family both loved and hated to be his golf buddies, as he usually won. He played the guitar and sang, for fun and to worship the Lord. An avid sports fan, he loved to follow Ohio State, especially in football. He was a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Jets, which shows the strength of his unconditional love. He managed to convert his son Will to his Ohio State and Jets fandom, although he was unable to sell him on the Mets.

He and Terri have two beautiful children; their son Will and their daughter Beth, who followed two years later (to the day!). He loved them unconditionally and always took pride in their successes and supported them through their hardships. The sports fan that he was, Marty was an even bigger fan of his children's teams, enthusiastically attending and following all of Beth's swim meets, cheering on the University of Vermont swim team even after her graduation. His Mets fandom prepared him for Will's little league career. He took special pride in Will's last season of Babe Ruth, in which their team went on a miracle run to win the league.

Early on, the Hartog-Bennett family found a church of their own via the Vacation Bible School hosted by the Hamden Plains United Methodist Church (HPUMC). Marty continued his ministry at HPUMC, collecting "Cans for the Congo" to give back to the Mulungwishi Seminary and founding the HPUMC branch of the Dinner for a Dollar program which provides meals every Saturday. He also served as lay leader and much-requested lay preacher, head of the Trustees, and mentor for many of the church's young people.

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. Terri's mother Pam, stepmother Joan, siblings Chris, Carrie, Josh, and Jeremiah, as well as many other extended family relatives, loved him and will miss him terribly.

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 Connecticut (team name Marty's Mathletes) 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.