Michael Andrew Hart Obituary (1961 - 2005)

Born Jul 28, 1961, Michael Andrew Hart attended Crawford High School in San Diego, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Michael Andrew Hart.

Graduation Year	Class of 1979
Date of Birth	Jul 28, 1961
Date of Passing	Nov 24, 2005
About	Deceased November 24, 2005 in San Diego. Mike was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on July 28, 1961 and moved with his family to San Diego as a child. After graduating from San Diego State University, he attended medical school at the University of California Davis, earning his medical degree in 1990. Dr. Hart served his residency at Ventura County Hospital and in 1992 joined the Grossmont Family Medical Group. As reported in the San Diego U-T: For Dr. Michael Hart, long weekend or holiday bike rides with his buddies became an aerobic escape, mixing camaraderie with friendly competition. Just as surely as he donned a stylish helmet and matching jersey and rode a high-performance bike, you could expect him to lead the charge up a challenging hill. Thanksgiving morning, Dr. Hart left Rancho San Diego with two cycling friends on a 55-mile route over hilly East County terrain. About halfway through the ride, while descending a hill, he was fatally injured when his bike apparently malfunctioned. Bleeding severely from the head, he was airlifted from Lyons Valley Road northeast of Jamul to Sharp Memorial Hospital in Kearny Mesa, where he died that afternoon. Dr. Hart had been wearing his helmet and was familiar with the terrain. While known for pushing himself and his companions, he was not one to take risks. "We've probably done this ride hundreds of times," said Steve Klasna, a former professional rider who accompanied him Thanksgiving day. "It was mechanical failure; something broke." Dr. Hart, a family practitioner for 13 years, was president of the Grossmont Family Medical Group. He had been chief of the family medicine department at Grossmont Hospital and was a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. In addition, he taught medical students at the University of California San Diego and for the Stanford Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants Program. "He always had time for his family first," said Klasna, who received minor injuries in the spill that took Dr. Hart's life. "If he wasn't on his bike, he was at his kids' soccer games, swim lessons or piano recitals." On the day he died, Dr. Hart had been barbecuing a Thanksgiving turkey for his wife, Emily, and their three children: Jordan, 13, Madeline, 10, and Alexander, 8. A barbecue mavin with a zest for researching recipes, Dr. Hart entertained frequently at his Del Cerro home. With each meal he and his wife prepared, he would offer an appropriate wine. After Thursday night bike rides with friends, Dr. Hart would often join his wife in preparing dinner for as many as a dozen people. He was famous among friends for his pesto sauce, made with toasted pine nuts, garlic, basil and olive oil. "He had this way of getting people together," said Tamara Schneidmiller, a longtime friend and former college classmate. "Multiple families will remember his 'Pesto Fests' in the Harts' back yard, making gallons of the green stuff from scratch." Dr. Hart also invited friends to his Rib Cookoff and took charge at block parties, Schneidmiller said. Friday nights were reserved for his Wine Club, a gathering of friends who shared his appreciation for fine wines. "He would generally set a theme, and we could compare different kinds of wines and food pairings," said John Mayers, a cycling friend whom Dr. Hart converted to a wine enthusiast. "Last Friday night, we did a 'missing man'– we set a place for him at our table," Mayers said. Among his friends and neighbors, Dr. Hart was known as the go-to guy for a health question or problem. "He had the physician's philosophy; he would help anybody, anywhere, anyhow," Schneidmiller said. "He became the neighborhood doc, certainly for all of the children but also for most of the adults. He was always ready to bandage whatever (injured person) came knocking at his door." During one football season, Dr. Hart offered his medical expertise at El Capitan High School's home games, Schneidmiller said. On the bike, Dr. Hart's longest rides took him along the San Diego coast or into the East County backcountry. The pace could be far from leisurely. "He was a very competitive guy, a very strong hill climber," Mayers said. "The only time I ever beat him up a hill was when he was not paying attention." When he invited Mayers into his road cycling group, Dr. Hart made sure his friend was properly attired. More accustomed to the casual culture of mountain biking, Mayers soon discovered he was in over his head. "Mike bought me a helmet and a jersey," Mayers said. "He wanted everything to match. He said, 'This is for us.' Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Emily; two daughters Jordan and Madeline, and son Alexander; and sister, Patricia Hart (CHS'65) of Santa Clara. Donations: Michael Hart Memorial Fund, c/o Grossmont Family Medical Group, 5525 Grossmont Center Drive, Suite 200, La Mesa, CA 91942.