Obituary of Raymond H. Hart

RAYMOND H. HART PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 13, 2022 AT THE AGE OF 100 UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS.  BORN IN YONKERS IN 1922, HE WAS ONE OF 8 CHILDREN TO JAMES AND MARY HART.  HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS WIFE MABEL. HE WAS A BELOVED FATHER TO LINDA (BOB), JANICE AND GEOFFREY (DIANE).  HE WAS GRANDFATHER TO ANDREW (SIU MEY), JOSEPH (PRINCESS), AIMEE, GEOFFREY (CHRISSY) ERIKA (CHRISTOPHER) AND MELISSA; GREAT GRANDFATHER TO KAYLEIGH, COLETTE AND BOBBY.        

      RAYMOND ENLISTED IN THE MARINES AT THE START OF WORLD WAR II, AND VOLUNTEERED TO BECOME A MARINE PARATROOPER. HE FOUGHT IN THE BATTLES OF GUADALCANAL, VELLA LAVELLA, BOUGAINVILLE AND IWO JIMA, WHERE HE WAS AWARDED A BRONZE STAR. HE WAS JUST RECOGNIZED BY THE NYPD MARINE CORP ASSOCIATION WITH A CENTURIAN AWARD AS BEING THE OLDEST MARINE EVER IN THE ORGANIZATION.

     AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE MARINES ON THANKSGIVING DAY 1945, HE JOINED THE NYPD IN 1946.  DURING THIS TIME HE MET AND MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE MABEL WHOM HE MARRIED IN JUNE OF 1951. THEY WERE MARRIED FOR 61 YEARS.  THEY LOVED TRAVELING THE WORLD TOGETHER AND TAKING YEARLY TRIPS TO DAYTONA BEACH EVERY SPRING WITH ALL THEIR FRIENDS.  RAYMOND LOVED THE SPORT OF GOLFING, EVEN TRAVELING TO ST ANDREWS IN SCOTLAND AND PLAYING ROUNDS WITH WOODEN CLUBS WHICH HE HAD RESTORED.  HE PLAYED GOLF TILL THE AGE OF 94 WITH 2 FELLOW MARINES, ALWAYS WALKING, NEVER TAKING A CART.   

     HE ROSE UP THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE NYPD, SERVING FOR 36 YEARS, RETIRING AS A DEPUTY INSPECTOR  AT HIS RETIREMENT, HE WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SECTION.  AFTER HIS WIFE MABEL DIED, HE SAID “I’VE LOST THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, BUT I STILL HAVE TWO LOVES LEFT – THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORP AND THE NYPD.”        

     IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE MAKE A DONATION IN HIS MEMORY TO SURVIVORSOFTHESHIELD.ORG – AN ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS THE WIDOWS AND FAMILIES OF FALLEN POLICE OFFICE.

Viewing will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 from 2:00 - 5:00 & 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. in Hodder Farenga Funeral Home, 899 McLean Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2022at 9:30 A.M. in St. Barnabas Church, Bronx, NY

Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY