Esther Mitchell Hartman

Esther Mitchell Hartman was born in Cincinnati in 1924, where her father Leo worked for the Multicolor Type Company as a printer and her mother Katy worked from home as a seamstress. Esther and her two siblings Virginia and Ralph grew up in the Fairfax neighborhood. She attended St. Margaret of Cortona Grade School and Mother of Mercy High School. She sang in the St. Margaret’s choir where the leader called her “The Songbird of St. Margaret’s.” Her childhood dream was to become a singer like Ruby Keeler. She was an active, enthusiastic kid who took tumbling and dance lessons and loved to put on shows. After high school and further schooling, she took a job with the Cincinnati Enquirer. Her father, whose own father was in the printing business, proudly told her, “You’ve got printer’s ink in your veins.” In 1947 Esther married Rome Hartman, Jr., a radio man, who brought her on their honeymoon to West Palm Beach, Florida. Her husband had a job waiting for him in West Palm at WIRK Radio. Esther got a job at The Palm Beach Daily News, also known as The Shiny Sheet. She and her husband lived together in West Palm Beach for 64 years, until his death in 2011. In 2012, Esther moved to Maryland to be near three of her children, and has resided there for the past six and a half years. She is survived by five children: Kathy Sabatier (Rick Funkhouser); Terry Hartman; Chris Dorman (Larry); Rome Hartman III (Amy); and Ginnie Hartman (Mike O’Donnell). Esther was a lifelong volunteer, giving her time to Maurawood, Catholic Charities, St. Ann’s, St. Francis, St. John Fisher, and St. Juliana’s Churches and St. Ann’s School. She took pride and delight in her 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren and carried the graciousness and generosity of her youth all the way to the end of her life. She also kept singing until the very end. She will be sorely missed. Visitation at Quattlebaum Funeral Home Hillcrest Location, 6411 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach, Friday November 30, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral at St. Juliana’s Catholic Church, West Palm Beach, Saturday December 1, 2018, 12:00 noon. Interment will follow in Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery, Royal Palm Beach, FL.