Obituary of William Bradford Hart, Sr.

William “Bill” Hart passed away after a short illness at Dominican Hospital on May 3, 2018. He was 88.  Born in Santa Cruz on March 29, 1930, the son of Donald C. Hart and Mariam (Fallis) Hart. He grew up in Santa Cruz and was a graduate of Santa Cruz High School, class of 1947.  He began working at an early age, first with a paper route and then at the age of 12 began farming tomatoes at the O’Neil Ranch in Soquel. In his early teens he would take the bus to the Cascade Ranch near Ano Nuevo State Beach where he would milk cows.

Bill attended San Jose State University before he served in the U.S. Airforce during the Korean War as an aviation navigator.  In 1954 he began his career with Southern Pacific Motor Trucking in Santa Cruz.  He met the love of his life, Olga Josephine Tinetti at a moose lodge dance in Santa Cruz. 

He was an avid outdoors man. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and took many trips with family and close friends. He was a hardcore fan of the Oakland A’s and the Golden State Warriors. He took great pleasure watching his children and grandchildren in their sports activities. He was a motorsports enthusiast, an avid reader, and enjoyed playing Pinochle.

He attended Our Lady Star of the Sea Church and was a member of Native Sons of the Golden West.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Olga Josephine Hart of Santa Cruz; sons, William Bradford Hart, Jr. and his wife, Rhonda Lyon of Santa Cruz and Robert Donald Hart of Santa Cruz; his daughter, Valerie Hart Carter and her husband, Walter Carter of Southern Utah; his sister, Margaret Yamaguchi of San Diego; his grandchildren, Patrick Hart, Krista Hart, Robert G. Hart, Brittany Hart, Joseph Hart, William Hart, III, A.J. Carter and Edith Carter; he is also survived by a great grandson, Hunter Hart. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Teresa Hart in 2004 and his brother, Donald C. Hart in 2011.

Services will be held at Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St, Santa Cruz, CA on Saturday May 12, 2018 at 10:00 am. Visitation will be at the chapel on Friday May 11 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, 2271 7th Ave., Santa Cruz, CA. To express your condolences or share a remembrance with Bill’s family please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com.

In lieu of flowers contributions are preferred to St. Jude Children’s Hospital 311 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104.