William Max Hart

William Max Hart of Gladewater passed away at his home on October 3, 2020, after a brief illness. He was born on September 16, 1959, in Gladewater, Texas to Wilma and Jack Hart, Jr.

Max, as he was known by his family and friends, was a 1979 graduate of Gladewater High School and a perpetual student of the school of hard knocks. He spent the first three decades of his career as a heavy equipment mechanic. After busting one too many knuckles, Max decided to move to the topside of the equipment and became an operator specializing in oilfield related equipment moves. He logged thousands of miles and was respected by his peers and supervisors.

Max’s favorite hobby was fishing. He enjoyed going out on the lake with his children and grandchildren and was able to continue dipping a lure into Gladewater Lake with his son up until the last week of his life. His love of spending time outdoors was reflected in years of riding his four wheeler. He loved taking the grandkids for rides as well as going to a four wheeler park. Max was always the type of person that would say the things everyone else was thinking. His favorite greeting was shooting people the bird. If you caught one then you were one of his people. His wife thought of him as her own personal Superman. He was tall and strong. He could do anything. He was a fixer, a picker upper of heavy things, a protector, and a knight in work boots and jeans.

Max is survived by his high school prom date and wife of 42 years, Gayla Edwards Hart, son, Joseph Hart and wife Torie, daughter Katherine Womack and husband Keith, mother in law Saundra Edwards, sisters Lisa Paz and husband Carlos, Laura Harber, Lois Keith and husband Jimmy, brothers J.T. Hart and John Hart and wife Rose, sister in laws Kelly Edwards, Emily Mayfield and husband Gary, Jamie Edwards, brother in laws Randy Davis and Tracy McKnight, grandchildren Lane Ferguson, Navi Womack, and Ava Waggoner, and countless nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his mother and father Wilma and Jack Hart, Jr., father in law Max Edwards, sisters Kathy Kisat and Linda Davis, sister in law Melinda McKnight, brother in law Phillip Edwards, nephew Michael Paz, and niece Rebecca Kates.

A memorial service will be held at Croley Funeral Home in Gladewater on Saturday October 9, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Private interment will take place at Kelsey Cemetery at a later date, following cremation services.