Lake Forest Obituary: Doug Hart, 66

Douglas Stuart Hart left this earth for his next adventure on Sept. 15, 2018. His family and friends all wish him the happiest of trails. Doug was born in Huntington, New York on Dec. 22, 1951, a Christmas baby. His family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois when he was nine, but he was drawn to the west because of his family's ranch in northwest Wyoming where spent his summers growing up with his siblings and Stuart, Spencer and Batchelder cousins. He attended Sheridan School, Lake Forest Country Day School, Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, Connecticut) and the University of Montana.

Doug cowboyed on the historic Bell Ranch in New Mexico and one of the King ranches in Texas. For several years he managed his family's ranch in Wyoming. He lived in Salzburg, Austria for a year and a half, becoming fluent in German and he was proficient in French, as he taught that subject at The North Country School near Lake Placid, New York. He also spoke some Spanish and was proud of his polyglot skills.

Doug enjoyed travelling. When he was still in his teens, he went on a three-month tour of South America with his youngest sister. Other adventures included three horseback safaris in Africa, a horseback trip in Mongolia, dog sledding in Alaska, heli-skiing in British Columbia with his two sons, and two golf excursions to Scotland with his Father and two brothers. Other destinations included several more South America trips, Europe, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Doug and his first wife, Ellen, lived on a farm near Red Lodge where their two sons were raised. In the early 1980’s, Doug became one of the founding members of Hall and Hall Inc., a ranch real estate firm in Billings. Doug was with Hall and Hall for over 30 years, and felt honored to have come to know many fine ranches throughout the Rocky Mountains. In 1998, he and his second wife, Harriet, bought the Paint Creek Ranch in northern Wyoming on the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River. After Doug retired, they put their full efforts into the care and maintenance of the ranch, using conservation as a tool to benefit wildlife.

Along with his extended family, and many friends, far and wide, Doug leaves behind his wife, Harriet Corbett, his sons, Philip and Austin, his siblings, Chip Hart, Kitty Lansing and Heather Hart, and his mother, Margaret Stuart Hart. He was pre-deceased by his father Gus Hart and by his brother Rob Hart.

Doug loved dancing, hunting, fishing, rafting, riding, skiing and storytelling. He loved life and everyone loved Doug. He was a magnanimous, magnetic, vital and fun-loving man, and he will be missed.

A gathering will be held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming on Saturday, Oct. 13th from 4 - 7 p.m. Please, no flowers, but do bring your favorite photos to share. If you would like to make a contribution in Doug's memory, please consider the American Bird Conservancy.