Mary Jeanette Hart

She was born in Bloomington, Illinois on April 21, 1941, the eldest child of Glenn Albert and Mary Alice Richards. When she was 6 months old, her parents moved out West to Portland, Oregon.

Mary (or Jeannie, as she was known while growing up) was a very bright student, earning a membership in the National Honor Society and graduating in 1959 at the top of her class from Reynolds High School in Gresham, OR. She was the first female recipient of the Reynolds Metal Company’s scholarship program, which allowed her to attend Willamette University. She also studied at Portland State University. Although she took enough credits to earn a degree in teaching, she never officially graduated - a regret she carried with her for many years.

In 1964 she moved to Seattle, took a job with the telephone company and began attending University Presbyterian Church. It was through the church that she met and married William Palmer on March 18, 1967. Together they had three children and the family moved to Port Orchard in 1978. There she filled her days caring for her family, volunteering at her childrens’ schools, and serving in various capacities at church.

After her marriage to William ended in 1991, she moved to Bremerton and eventually married Gene Hart. They were together for many years, but officially tied the knot on March 25, 2004. With him, she volunteered in organizations like MADD and the Lion’s Club as well as other areas of civic engagement. She worked first as a bookkeeper and later in various customer service roles. She continued to care for her children in their adulthood, especially for her oldest, Allison. Her care of others extended to those around her including co-workers, neighbors, and friends. She and Gene became particularly close to the Colvin family. But spoiling her granddaughters any chance she could get was her true delight.

Mary had a lifetime love of the Lord, a servant’s heart, and a beautiful smile that she freely offered to others. She loved to learn, had a talent for speaking foreign languages (especially French), and was a gifted player of the piano and organ, often filling the home with music and teaching informally. She would spend hours in the kitchen cooking and baking many delights and no dinner was complete without a Jell-O salad. The Oregon Coast was her favorite place to vacation, with a soft spot for Agate Beach where she spent many days when she was growing up. She had a bit of a sweet tooth and especially enjoyed Almond Roca, dark chocolate, and ice cream. Her hobbies included listening to classical and any upbeat music, working the Sunday crossword and Sudoku puzzles (in ink!), tending to flowers in the garden, going out for Chinese food, and reading. She was an avid reader and would devour anything from the Bible and devotionals, preeminent Christian authors, mystery novels, and Reader's Digest condensed books. She was even known to read the dictionary at times!

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Glenn Thomas Richards, and her loving husband Gene Hart. She is survived by her children Allison Palmer of Port Orchard, WA, Randy Palmer and his wife Erin of Athol, ID, and Kristen Belcher and her husband Mark of Tacoma, WA; her grandchildren Briah Anglin and her husband Brandon (soon to be parents of her great-grandchild) of Spokane Valley, WA, Adria Palmer of Spokane Valley, WA, and Bekah Palmer of Pullman, WA; her brother Jerry Richards and his wife Laura of Estacada, OR; her sister Nancy Storm of Bay City, OR; and many cousins, nieces, and friends who she loved like family. She will be dearly missed.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Evergreen Rotary Park,1500 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337, picnic shelters 5 & 6.

The family would like to say special thanks to the wonderful staff at Orchard Pointe Assisted Living in Port Orchard who took good care of her these past couple of years.