John Stewart Hart

HART, John Stewart – John passed away June 18, 2019, nearing his 103rd birthday.  He is survived by his three children, two grandchildren and six great grandchildren.  Having lived through the many changes and experiences over the past century he decided it was time to slip the surly bonds of the earth. 

Born and raised in Sackville, New Brunswick, he tired of the fishing fleets and Mt. Allison University.  In 1938 John obtained his flying license in Halifax, jumped a freighter for England and joined the Royal Air Force. When WW11 began he was assigned to fighter squadron and flew Spitfires through the Battle of Britain.  In 1942 he was sent to Burma to fly Hurricanes and later was moved to North Africa.  From there he lead his Mustang squadron through Italy eventually flying as far as Vienna toward the culmination of the war. 

John left the RAF in 1946 and, having married Joan in Scotland in 1942, he returned to Canada with his young son and set out to build a life and family in Vancouver.  Joan was lost to Cancer in 1977.  He then married Bette who died after another 35 years of marriage.  John carried many talents and many conflicts through his life but survived, fully aware of his surroundings, to be one of last four of "THE FEW".

Many thanks to those who reintroduced him to the love of flying in the final years of his life, and a big thank-you to the lovely ladies who so affectionately supported him at his home in Naramata.