Bill J. Hart Obituary (1926 - 2020) - Bloomington, Illinois

Bill J. Hart formerly of Bloomington, Illinois, died on November 27. He was born on October 23,1926 in Washington, Indiana to William S. Hart and Cdv (Leonard) Hart. He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings, Ray Leonard Hart, Mary Jean (Hart) Hinkle and a granddaughter, Jessica Hart. Survivors include his wife, Audrey (Williams) Hart whom he married in 1945, and four children, Necia Chessman, Georgetown, Texas, Mark H. Hart, Loudon, Tennessee, Melinda Delcher, Clayton, N.C., and Matthew S. Hart, Elizabethton, Tennessee, four grandsons, Wade H. Chessman, Dallas, TX, Tyler L. Chessman, Georgetown, Texas, Thomas S. Ritz, Clayton, N.C., and Cory A. Hart, Phoenix, Arizona, as well as ten great-grandchildren. Bill graduated from high school in Washington, Indiana in 1944 and was accepted into the V-5 Program for officers training in the Naval Air Corps, assigned to De Paul University, Greencastle, IN. When the quota for pilots was reconsidered, that program was changed to V-12 Officers Training and he was transferred to Purdue Univ. in W. Layfayette, IN. He was discharged from the Navy when the war ended. He completed his degree in Electrical Engineering. Bill was employed at the Capehart-Farnsworth Plant in Ft. Wayne, IN. for seven years and then came to Bloomington with the Eureka Company as Manager of Research and Development, Cathode Ray Department. He was later named Manager of Advance Science Division. In 1982, Bill was named Manager of Engineering, a position he held until his retirement in 1991 after 34 years with the company. Bill was a longtime member of Evergreen Racquet Club and El Paso Golf Club. He enjoyed walking the course early in the morning and had a large collection of lost golf balls. Bill and Audrey were active members of Wesley Methodist Church for over fifty years. They enjoyed close friendships with friends at Wesley and supported the outreach programs there. Bill will be buried at Funk's Grove Cemetery with services delayed due to the COVID Virus. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Wesley Methodist Church, Bloomington, Illinois 61701.