Floyd Hart

Floyd Hart

Longtime Riverton educator Floyd Hart died Jan. 4, 2008, at the Veterans' Nursing Home in the Sheridan Medical Center, after seventeen months residency. He was 94 years old. Following his wishes, written long ago, there will be no funeral service and his family will scatter his ashes to the winds of Wyoming.

He was born Oct. 15, 1913, in Pine Island, Minn. to Grover and Johanna (Jennie) Hart. Graduating from Pine Island High School at the age of 16, he attended Mankato Teachers College, graduating from the University of Minnesota and later earning a Masters' Degree at the University of Wyoming. He did advanced work in education at Stanford, Columbia and Denver Universities among others.

He spent 43 years in education, first in Gillette junior high school, many years as a successful high school athletic coach and teacher and then as a principal, high school teacher and school principal. Hart was principal of Niobrara County High School for four years after a successful athletic coaching career in Lusk for ten years. At a time when Wyoming high schools competed without regard to enrollment, the Lusk teams were rated with the best in the state -especially in basketball and Legion baseball.

For the years 1958 through 1972, he served as principal of Riverton High School, before returning to the classroom until retirement in 1979.

As a young man he had a variety of work experience: raised on a Minnesota dairy farm, work in the Minnesota iron mines when he played semi-pro baseball after college, drove truck at the Casper Airbase during the early war years, sold insurance, worked in the Lance Creek oil field and shipped wool in Gillette.

He served in the European theater in the infantry in World War II. He was twice wounded and was awarded five battle stars and the Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster.

His leadership and service includes past presidency and Sigh Chairman of the Lions Club in Riverton, member of the original Board of Directors of the Riverton Golf Club, Past President of the Fremont County Teachers. State Athletic Officer (three years) of the American Legion, two terms on the Wyoming Committee of the North Central Accrediting Association, multiple terms on the National College Board, Alternate Delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention, one term on the Curriculum Committee of National Secondary School Principals' Association, past president of the Big Horn School Administrators, Loan Officer of the Educators' Credit Union and State Platform Committee for the Democratic Party.

Marjorie Wilhelm Hart and Floyd Hart were married in 1958 before moving to Riverton to join the school system and establish their home. In 1937 Floyd married Marian Keys and they were later divorced.

Survivors include his wife, Marlys Reddon and her husband Jim, granddaughter Colleen Reddon, grandson Jay Reddon and his wife Jill and great grandchildren Eric, Troy and Shaun Udell and Meagan and John Reddon and numerous nieces and nephews. A two-year-old son, William Grover Hart, preceded him in death during Hart's service in Gillette in the early 1940's, his brother Orville of Pine Island, Minn. Bourdette of Mesa, Ariz., and sister Ione Wilkins of Dodge Center, Minn.

Memorials in his name may be made to the Floyd Hart Scholarship, created in his name by former students at the College of Health Sciences University of Wyoming Foundation, 1200 Ivison Avenue, Laramie, WY, 82070.

Images & Attachments

Related/Linked Records