The Passing of Dean Hartely

[Ed]

I just wanted to inform the sword community of the passing of Dean Hartely, Col. USMC Ret.

 

Dean passed away early this am. Many knew him, many more knew of him. He was one of the US sword communities forefathers. He was President emeritus of the JSS/US and was instrumental in the formation of most, if not every sword club in the US.

 

Dean was like a father to me, having been a friend and mentor for many years. He was a gentleman and a scholar, and will be dearly missed.

[drbvac]

Ed:

 

My sincere condolences on the passing of your friend and mentor. We all need men like that in our lives and hopefully you will pass on what he has taught and been to you to out next generation.

[Stephen]

Gods speed kind sir, Dean always had time for me at shows when i was asking questions others might just give me a pass on.

 

Semper Fidelis

[nagamaki - Franco]

This news is received with much sadness. Col. Hartley was truly a genuine and generous person that always left you feeling in higher spirits after visiting with him at the sword shows. My sincere condolences go out.

[Rich S]

My sympathy to Col. Hartley's family and friends. I had the privilege of meeting him only once at the 86 Chicago Token Tai Kai. A true gentleman and scholar of Nihonto. He will be missed.

 

Rich S

[watsonmil]

I only met Col. Hartley on one occassion, ... that being a JSSUS show quite a number of years ago in Chicago I was honoured that he would take the time to discuss Nihonto with a neophyte. It will be a sad day when all the " old timers " are replaced with " wannabe's ".

It was a pleasure not to be rudely corrected, ... but gently albeit firmly set in the correct direction to form a logical conclusion, and see the smile of satisfaction on a teacher's face, ..... reading .. " by God I think he got it " ......... Ron Watson

[Brian]

A biog on this esteemed gentleman, along with some nice articles linked:

http://home.comcast.net/~ColHartley/index.html

Sorry to hear the news, condolences and sympathies from myself and the forum.

 

Brian

[David Flynn]

I happened to meet him once in SF. My condolences to the family.

[Curran]

I met him many times over the years at the Tampa show, but it was only in 2007 over a sword I had then and his own Ichimonji that we sat down to talk Bizen and connected. I knew him by reputation as a collector, but I came away from that conversation liking him very much. Two generation of age gap existed between us, but we were kids in a candy store that day.

 

Over and above his distinguished career, I loved the fact that he was so interested in art and explored it. If you go through his website, you'll see he made at least one tsuba in the 1960s. I would have loved to have known individuals like Keith Austin and him then in the 1960s, but it was before I was born.

 

I'll miss him.

 

Curran

[Pete Klein]

Celebrate a life well lived. Here's to one who saw the cherry blossoms and drank the tea, both with appreciation and fervor!

[Ted Tenold]

Gem of a man and an inspiration to all. As an aviation enthusiast, I had several conversations with him about flying. I was amazed to hear how he actually "Ground Looped" (aviation term for flipping or rolling an aircraft on takeoff, taxi, or landing) a F4U Corsair and though a bit battered, still walked away. Corsairs were very difficult aircraft to take off and land in because of their extremely powerful engines and higher ground clearance. His survival of that event, though luck in part, is also no doubt a testiment to his skill as a pilot.

 

I am very saddened to hear of his passing. Rest in peace Colonel, and Semper Fi.

[blades87]

Semper Fidelis, Marine.

[Cypress Bayou]

Published on March 23, 2010

COLONEL DEAN S. HARTLEY, JR. (USMC RETIRED)

 

Kilpatrick Funeral Home, Monroe, LA.

 

Colonel Dean S. Hartley, Jr. (USMC retired) passed away Friday, March 19, 2010 at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, Louisiana.

 

He was born in Redland, GA on August 3, 1920 to Bernice Blackmon Hartley and Dean Stanley Hartley and raised in Darlington, SC. After graduating from Wofford College in 1941, Col Hartley entered military active duty. Hartley served heroically as a pilot in the Pacific Theater in World War II, in Korea, and in Vietnam. He earned his MA from Stanford University in 1951. Later in his Marine Corps career, he served as Director of the School of Naval Warfare at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, and as Director of the Marine Corps Extension School at Quantico, VA. In 1971, after 30 years active duty service, Col Hartley was recruited to develop and head the School of Aviation at Northeast Louisiana University, where he taught until his second retirement in 1988. Much to the delight of his children, at that time he shed some of his "Great Santini" persona, grew a white beard, and embraced being mistaken for both Ernest Hemingway and Colonel Sanders. He thoroughly enjoyed his college students at NLU and maintained relationships with many of them throughout later years as his bonus children, a great comfort to both him and his late wife Ruth, as none of their grown children made the move with them to Louisiana.

 

A decorated officer, he earned the following: Distinguished Flying Cross with two stars, Air Medal with eight stars, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V," Presidential Unit Citation, 1st Division Guadalcanal, Navy Unit Commendation, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three stars, Victory Medal WW II, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Letter of Appreciation (2), and he is credited with 4 1/2 air combat kills at Guadalcanal.

 

An artist and oriental art collector with many related publications to his credit, Col Hartley was also Past President of the Japanese Sword Society of the US (JSSUS), Past President of the Southern California Sword Society (Nanka Token Kai), Sensei and Honorary Life Member of the Florida Token Kai, and a member of the Dallas Token Kenkyu Kai.

 

Col. Hartley's dress blues and other items are on permanent display at the Aviation Museum located at the Monroe Airport. More information is available at his website at http://home.comcast.net/~ColHartley/index.html.

 

Col. Hartley was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Ruth Boyd Hartley, and by two of his brothers, Philip and Robert Hartley. He is survived by his three children: Dean S. Hartley III and his wife Eileen of Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Patricia H. Partnow of Anchorage, Alaska; and Barbara M. Hartley and her husband Cloyde W. Wiley III of Urbanna, VA; seven grandchildren: Theresa Hartley and Elise Hartley Henderson, Seth and Alix Partnow, Erica and Matthew Gatti, Shannon Gatti McCarthy, and three great grand children. He is also survived by two brothers, Carol S. Hartley of Florida, and Michael O. Hartley of North Carolina.

 

A visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Monroe. Services will be held at 1:30 PM at Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe, and the burial will be at Mulhearn Memorial Park.

 

Online condolences may be made to the family at http://www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com

 

Colonel Dean S. Hartley, JR (USMC Retired)

 

WHEN:

Wednesday March 24, 2010

1:30 pm

 

WHERE:

Grace Episcopal Church

405 Glenmar Avenue

 

Monroe, LA 71201

 

PHONE:

318-387-6646

[jrs]

Col. Hartley was my friend and mentor for 25 years, since I was 13 years old. I can't imagine having a more knowledgeable or generous teacher. Who else would send home a Juyo Shizu Kaneuji, just one among many blades, with a 15 year old to study at their leisure?

I stopped by the funeral home tonight and just wanted to let everyone know that his family is celebrating the wonderful life the Col. lived and send their thanks to all of his friends the in world of Nihonto.

 

James "Jay" Stephenson