Gary D. Hart

Gary Duane Hart, 67, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack at his home on Saturday, February 19, 2022. Memorial services will be Saturday, March 5, at Greater Kansas City Chinese Christian Church; 5316 Quivira Rd., Shawnee, KS 66216. Visitation is from 9:30 am. to 10:45 a.m., and the service is from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. Future inurnment will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri.

Gary was born Tuesday, May 13, 1954, the son of Marian (Brock) and Duane Hart, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He attended Cochranton High School where he graduated in 1972. Gary attended Bob Jones University from 1972 to 1978, earning a Bachelor of Arts in May 1976 then proceeding to earn his Master of Arts in 1978. He started learning Chinese at Taipei Language Institute from 1979 to 1982, earning a certificate for the Mandarin Language.

Gary went back to Bob Jones in 1987, earning his Master of Divinity in September 1987. God used him to start and lead as pastor of LYOU BAU Baptist Church in Taichung, Taiwan, and is still to this day the only Christian church in this small village. He co-founded this church with Stephen Chien of Taiwan where they met at a Christian church. When he came back to the U.S., Gary did not stop there as he always was furthering his language and learning skills. He went on to the University of Missouri earning his Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction in May of 1995. Still yearning to learn, he was also a student for the four year Shepherd School of Ministry of Kansas City Baptist Temple under Senior Pastor Jeff Adams.

Gary was commissioned at KCBT in the 1990s to start a Chinese fellowship. He organized with UMKC international student ministry working with Chinese students. He also started an ESL program at KCBT where students were trained to teach ESL elsewhere. They received a certificate connected with Calvary Bible College to teach ESL groups and practiced with students on site. He taught within the KC school district for nearly 25 years, teaching Chinese language learning by completing very intense language classes in which he traveled to China three years in a row for one month at a time in the summer of 2014-2016. After he finished this, he retired from Lees Summit school district and became the pastor of Greater KC Chinese Christian Church for five years until he retired in June of 2021. He then started working part time as a substitute teacher in Lees Summit and also at a local UPS store on state line. For the past two years, he also taught ESL to Chinese students via video who live in China. On Sundays, he taught conversational Chinese at a Chinese school. He also co-taught at a bible study for Chinese seniors at Santa Fe Towers.

Gary loved the Chinese culture and had a calling to go to Taiwan and learn the culture and language. He immersed himself in Taiwan where he went to the local University of Taiwan and graduated top of his class. This was a difficult path as Chinese is a tonal deaf language. Gary was tone deaf. He trusted God that this was the plan for him. Boy was it ever! He has taught many of us and we have learned about his love of Jesus Christ and what Jesus did for him and we got to experience how God used him in our lives. We are so lucky to have had him here with us and he will be greatly missed by all.

Gary's Hobbies and Interests: Reading, studying Chinese language and culture, teaching, and sports. Gary loved watching local sports including the Chiefs, Royals, and local college basketball.

Survivors and Predecessors: Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Duane and Marian (Brock) Hart, his sister Mary Hart, daughter Ruth Hart, son Joseph Hart, granddaughter Syan Hart, grandson Jayden Neitzey, and his stepson Tarl Neitzey. He is survived by his wife, Sharon R. (McMurry) Hart, his brother Dave Hart, sister Debra Jean Nickerson, his son Jonathan Hart, stepson Timothy Neitzey, grandchildren; Abigail, Kathryn, Lynn, Elizabeth, and Jacob Hart; Azalia, Kaden, Aliya, Daniel, Elisa, and Rebekah Neitzey. Daughter-in-laws Regina, Roselyn Neitzey, and Melissa Hart, along with countless extended family and friends.

Memorial services will be Saturday, March 5, at Greater Kansas City Chinese Christian Church; 5316 Quivira Rd., Shawnee, KS 66216. Visitation is from 9:30 am. to 10:45 a.m., and the service is from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. Future inurnment will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri.