Erskine C. Hart

Memorial Services celebrating the life of Mr. Erskine C. Hart, will be held on Friday, October 30, 2015 at 11am at Saint Philip AME Church-240 Candler Rd. SE, Atlanta GA. Senior Pastor William D. Watley, Ph.D. Interment: PRIVATE. His Loving memory will forever be cherished by his devoted wife, and his loving family. Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes-4347 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Decatur Ga (404) 241-5656 Erskine Charles Hart, 76, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease on October 23, 2015. Erskine was born to the late Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester and Cornelia Hart in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 27, 1938. His parents eventually moved Erskine and his three brothers, Sylvester, Jr. (Drake), Lionel and Derrick to East Orange, New Jersey during his elementary school years. While in high school, he played both football and baseball, two sports that he continued to follow – especially the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Braves. Immediately following graduation, Erskine served in the Army Reserve for seven years. In 1963, he married his beautiful bride, Brenda Diann, and continued to reside in the area of East Orange, New Jersey, raising a daughter (Linda) and a son (Lloyd). Erskine was a proud alumnus of Rutgers University, graduating with honors as a member of the National Honor Society and named in Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities. He earned his license in Real Estate and Insurance where he began his career. In 1977, Erskine moved his family to Atlanta, Georgia. As a member of St. Philip AME Church (Atlanta), he became involved with a mentoring program for young boys, a continuation of his civic work while in New Jersey with a program called VIP (Volunteers in Probation) which placed him in a mentoring role with male juveniles transitioning into the community. During this time, Erskine also became an avid runner, living a life of wellness through clean eating and maintaining an active lifestyle through not only 10K road races but also several marathons. He started a family tradition with the AJC Peachtree Road Race by running the 10K race with his son while his wife and daughter volunteered by distributing t-shirts to runners at the finish line. His family continues to uphold the legacy after 35 years. Erskine retired from Delta Airlines after 20 years of service through which he was blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively with his family during his years of employment and beyond. Even into retirement, he continued his civic duty by volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program in Atlanta. Erskine was a fisherman to his core, a skillful chess player, an avid reader, a true blue Dallas Cowboys fan and a passionate photographer. He most enjoyed spending time at home with his family. Erskine was a devoted and caring husband as well as a loving father and a loyal brother. His survivors include: his loving and supportive wife, Brenda Hart; daughter, Linda Hart Patton, and son, Lloyd Hart; daughter-in-law, LaShonda Hart; sister, Jennifer Gaines; brothers, Drake Hart and Derrick Hart; sister-in-law, Kathy Keys Hart; grandsons, Jacoby Patton and Miles Patton, and great-grandson, Jace Patton; and a host of other relatives and friends. An apparent theme throughout much of Erskine’s life is the connection to family. Whether blood relation or love relation, family meant everything to Erskine and the love he felt from family and friends was cherished throughout his life on earth. May his legacy serve as a sterling example of strong character, faithfulness and love straight from the heart.

Tributes

Erskine C. Hart

December 27, 1938 - October 23, 2015