Patrick "Pat" Clark Hart

It was 1949, a young man wants to fly so bad that he is claiming to be eighteen years old, the minimum age to join the National Guard, when he is actually only seventeen. Whether he knew or not, the recruiter approved the request and a young Pat C. Hart started his flying career. He spent the next twenty years flying for the National Guard attaining the rank of Major. His love for flying started his first career move, starting a flight school at Pearson Airfield. Pat went on to own three airplanes, an open cockpit Ryan, a two seat Champ and a Cessna 182. Pat loved flying but his first passion was boxing. Boxing in high school, college, and two professional fights, winning both professional fights but realizing it was no way to make a living. Pat loved boxing because he was good at it, with a record of 49 wins of 52 fights. The highlight of his boxing wasn’t winning, it was meeting the love of his life, Mary. Pat’s life long best friend was Jim Walling, also on the boxing team, and Jim had a very attractive sister, Mary. Pat and Mary were married in Vancouver and went on to have two boys, James (Jim) and Mark. Pat and Mary were the proverbial life of the party. Their marriage was lifelong and lasted until Mary passed away in 2021. The family loved the excitement of the airport life with Pat flying his open cockpit Ryan airplane, airshows and occasionally taking the kids up for an airplane ride. But, Pat ended the flight school to start his full career with Vancouver Fire Department most of which as a lieutenant. Being a Major with the National Guard and a Vancouver Firefighter, wasn’t enough for Pat. In the early 60’s, Pat again teamed up with his good friend Jim Walling, buying the property and building most of the front nine of Green Meadows Golf Course. Unfortunately, hard work and ambition wasn’t enough to generate the funding needed to complete the course and the project was sold. Pat had a taste for the golf business and in the late 60’s, Pat and Mary moved the family to the Felida area and built Pine Crest Golf Course. Pine Crest continues to provide golf for the community today and is operated by their son Mark and his wife Kathy. In 1992, Pat and Mary teamed up with their oldest son Jim and his wife Sue. They saw the need for a golf course in east Clark County and built Hartwood Golf Course. Hartwood was operated by Jim and Sue and was immediately busy when it opened and continued to be popular with golfers for over twenty-six years. Pat always loved working on the golf courses and was still helping out at Pine Crest just months before his passing. Pat and Mary, along with the rest of the family, always loved salmon fishing, keeping their boat at Ridgefield Marina and often taking it down to Ilwaco for the summer fishing season. Pat was an excellent fisherman, but he could never beat the family record of a 40-pound salmon caught by Mary. Pat always needed to stay busy. After retiring from the Vancouver Fire Department and due to his love of flying, Pat teamed up with an aircraft designer in Longview, Molt Taylor. Pat went on to build an experimental aircraft called a Mini IMP. The airplane was featured on the cover of Sport Aviation Magazine, August 1984. The aircraft was called Hart’s Dart in the article due to the configuration of the tail. Pat flew the aircraft at the experimental aircraft airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There you have it, the life of Patrick Clark Hart. Born December 26, 1931, in Vancouver, Washington, to Erna and Earl Hart. Pat passed away peacefully at home on July 22, 2026. Preceded in death by his wife Mary Lou Hart (Walling), his parents and his older brother Brian Hart. Survived by his son James C. Hart (Sue) and son Mark J. Hart (Kathy), grandchildren Elaine (Brandon), Craig, and Nicole(Daniel), and great-grandchildren Eyla and Frankie. Pat loved life and lived it to the fullest for 94 years. Pat and his wife Mary were special people and they made family and friends feel special too. Not just loved but admired. He will be deeply missed by all. There will be a private service for immediate family.

Patrick "Pat" Clark Hart

December 26, 1931 - July 22, 2026