Alan Hart

Alan Hart, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Akron, died on May 2, 2024. He enjoyed teaching at Akron for twenty-four years and was awarded Outstanding Teacher in 1991. He was twice Chairman of the Philosophy Department.

A recipient of a Regents Scholarship, he graduated from Watertown, N.Y. high school, earned BA ('54) and ('59) degrees at Syracuse University and a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania ('65). His academic career included positions at Millersville (Pa) State College, University of Connecticut, and Douglass College of Rutgers University. He published articles on Leibniz, Spinoza, Descartes and Plato and published a book on Spinoza and Plato. He was a member of the American Philosophical Association, AAUP, Leibniz Society of America.

His 22 year military career in the U.S. Naval Reserve included active duty in the Panama Canal Zone, and aboard the USS New Jersey (BB-62) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64). He was Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Security Group Divisions in Hartford, CT and Cleveland, OH, retiring with the rank of Commander. He was a member of the Navy Cryptologic Reserve Alumni Association.

A devoted Boston Red Sox fan, he also delighted in tennis, travel with Judy and friends, and reading.

He had many excellent good friends with whom he shared good times and bad jokes.

He was extremely proud of his two good sons, Daniel and Jason and his wife, Jen, and loved them dearly. He had two grandsons, Justin and Leon. He worshiped his wife, Judith, with whom he shard a life of love, loads of laughs, and over 65 years of devotion as they navigated through the vicissitudes of life. They met in a small up-state town (Gloversville, NY), renewed acquaintance at Syracuse, courted and married in NYC. She was the center of his universe.

There are no services planned at this time.