November 29, 1942 – July 17, 2020
Daughter of John Criner “Jack” Hart and Mamye Ella Johnson Hart, of Oklahoma City, OK.
At the time of her death, she was survived by her siblings, JC Hart, Joe Hart, CarOline Hart, and Mohanta Sue Hart Schalit, and her in-laws, Emilia Hart, Gerline Hart, and Bob Schalit, Jr.
She was preceded in death by her beloved siblings, Amelia Musgrove, Buster Hart, and her twin, Larry Gene Hart, and her parents.
She is also survived by her loving nieces and nephews: Allen Musgrove, John Hart, Emily Hart, Deborah Tuban, Rosemary Camposano, Hayley Phelps, Lisa Giardino, Lorrie Tezak, Kimberly Hart Becker, Rebecca Hart, Skylar Schalit, and Sydney Schalit.
While known professionally as Rosemary Hart, her family all knew her as Tootsie, a nickname she received in childhood.
Tootsie passed away in hospice with her loving sister, Mohanta, by her side in July of 2020, in Spokane, Washington.
Tootsie attended secretarial school in Oklahoma City after graduating from Southeast High School. She worked in a secretarial role for a bank in Oklahoma City, OK, before moving to Palo Alto, CA, to be near CarOline and her daughters. There she worked at Coopers & Lybrand accounting and consulting firm, and in the 1990s, relocated to Spokane, WA, to be nearer to JC and his family, where she was a dedicated member of Perkins Coie law firm until her retirement.
Tootsie loved antiquing, collecting handcrafted Amish quilts, and was an avid gardener and cook. She was adored by her nieces and nephews, who all recall her tenderness, her witty humor, her tenacity, and her love for Christmas decorations. She was well known in the antiquing world for her collections, eye for craftsmanship, and especially her primitive antique collection. The Hart and Johnson families’ Native American heritage likely played a role in her deep interest in preservation. Her reverence for antiques brought memories of her grandparents to life, reminded her of her siblings, and brought her deep comfort.
Tootsie had a sharp and witty sense of humor, loved to read historical novels and mysteries. She was a renowned cook amongst her family and close friends. She imparted a love for traditional recipes as family heirlooms to her nieces and nephews, in particular, one of whom collected family recipes into a cookbook. While she never had her own, children brought her great joy, and she spent as much quality time with her nieces and nephews as possible. Many have very fond and funny memories of their time with “Aunt Tootsie”, including comical mishaps in the kitchen, driving in her colorful Volkswagen Bug, and learning to appreciate antiques and the stories that survive because of them.
She is missed deeply and thought of often and fondly by her friends and family.
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