Obituary of Irwin "Bill" Gart

On February 12, 2023, Irwin “Bill” “Vevie” Gart passed away peacefully surrounded by family and the love of his life, Donna Gart.

Bill will be dearly remembered by Donna, his wife of 63 years; his two children, Gennifer and Julie Gart and three grandchildren, Brandon (Yael) Kaufmann and Marissa Kaufmann and many family members and friends whose lives were lifted by Bill’s resolute humor and warmth.

Bill is predeceased by his parents Goldie and George Gart and his brother Mort Gart.

Bill was born on March 11, 1931. He went to Cheltenham Elementary School in Denver, which remained an important part of his life as he planned several reunions to keep in touch with elementary school classmates for decades. He attended Lake Junior High School in Denver and then attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico for Senior High School. Bill graduated from the University of Denver in 1953.

From 1954-1956, Bill proudly served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He served as a 1^st Lieutenant of the 509^th Armored Field Artillery.  Donna and Bill began their life together in marriage on December 30, 1959.

Bill enjoyed a long career of entrepreneurship. From 1956-1962, Bill worked in his family business Gart Brothers Sporting Company. In 1962, he opened his own sporting goods store in Denver, selling ski, tennis, and bowling sportswear. In 1971, Bill and his family moved to Dallas, Texas, where he started working for the Zales Corporation in their Sports Division as the Vice President of Store Operations. In 1979, he was hired by Adam Hat Company to develop their Athletic Division. In 1982, the company was acquired, and his division become a part of Resistol Hat Company. As a Vice President, Bill helped grow the business from 78 stores to 450 stores by the time he retired in 1992. From 1992 onward, Bill continued his passion for entrepreneurship, running small businesses of his own in his expert field of sporting goods and apparel.

In addition to a prosperous career, Bill was a volunteer and strong advocate in his community. He proudly served his community homeowners’ association for years, and in 2013 he was appointed to the Senior Affairs Commission of Dallas, where he served as the Chairman of the Housing Committee for eight years.

His loved ones remain inspired to Bill’s abiding dedication to his pursuits, commitments, and community.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Bill’s memory. The family will be developing a memorial related to his cherished Cheltenham Elementary School community. Contributions to this effort can be made here: https://gofund.me/ca264422.

Services will be held at 12:00 PM on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape Street, Denver, Colorado 80220. The service can be accessed online via Feldman Mortuary’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FeldmanMortuary/streams. Interment to follow at Golden Hill Cemetery. Shiva will be held on Thursday at 4:00 PM at The Seasons Apartment 3498 East Ellsworth Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80206 in the Party Room. Minyan will be held at 5:00 PM at the same location as Shiva.