The Exciting Life of James Hart

Jim Hart

After escaping from Acalanes, I matriculated to Stanford where, except for track, I did not fare well. Deciding that a little adult education was in order I started by joining the Marine reserve followed by joining the Marine regulars via boot camp in San Diego . Thanks to a thoughtful First Sargeant and a few retained smarts I was sent to the US Naval Academy Prep at Bainbridge, Md. and on to the Academy where I graduated in 1961. Right after graduation I married Marilyn Wylie (Acalanes Class 0f “56) and we became military vagabonds for the next 19 years. Our duty stations included Quantico, Pensacola, Camp Lejeune, Naval Post Graduate School, a wonderful 1967-1968 summer and winter vacation in Hue-Phu Bai Vietnam followed by Quantico, Camp Pendleton, Japan, Hawaii and finally back to San Diego where I retired. Even though I was on deployment or an unaccompanied tour all this time, Marilyn and I had two great kids Tim and Therese both of whom are now married and have given us equally great three grandchildren. After retiring in 1980, we moved back to Walnut Creek where I had jobs at Northern Telecom, Fluor Mining and Metals, Atari and finally PacBell from which I retired in 1991. All this time Marilyn taught school at the K -3 level as well as raising Tim and Therese.

For outside interests Marilyn has concentrated on her passion of art in most all mediums. As for me, I have always been a “Track and Field Nut”, a calling which Marilyn simply tolerates (I think). Prior to Navy I competed on the east coast AAU circuit and at Navy lettered four years and was privileged to win their first Track and Field trophy. I later coached at Pensacola J.C., put together a Marine team while in Hawaii, competed in the National Masters Track and Field program as well as with the PacBell Team as part of the U.S. Corporate Athletic Association Track and Field Program. During these times I also coached field events at Ygnacio Valley High School and just retired as field events/head coach at Northgate High school. I’m currently a Pacific Association Track and Field U.S.A. Official.