Brevard - Janet “Jan” L. Hart passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023.
Jan was born to Marvin and Lenore Sorensen on March 3, 1950, in St. James, Minnesota. She was baptized in St. James. She was the youngest of three children.
The family farmed in St. James, and at a young age Jan was given her first “jobs” of feeding the pigs and selling sweet corn door-to-door pulling her little red wagon.
During her youth she began playing the piano at the age of eight which became her lifelong passion.
She graduated from St. James High School in 1968. During high school she participated in band, synchronized swimming, choirs, and declamation. She was awarded the “Sousa Award” as the outstanding member of the band and also received an A rating in the state declamation competition. She was also a member of the National Honor Society.
After high school graduation she attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, earning a B.A. degree in Nursing. Prior to her senior year at Gustavus, she married Doug Hart, who came home on leave from the US Army for their wedding.
Her first position in health care was as a public health nurse in the western suburbs of Minneapolis.
In 1977 she returned for further education at UNC Chapel Hill where she received her Master of Public Health in Mental Health Nursing.
Returning to Minnesota she became a program manager/family counselor at Courage Center in Golden Valley, MN. She also held positions as Director of Nursing and Administrator in the independent living program for young adults with physical, congenital, and brain trauma at Courage Center.
In 1983 Jan and Doug moved to Surfside Beach, SC, where Doug became involved in marketing and management in the golf industry.
Jan became the Director of Human Resources for Waccamaw Pottery and then took a position with a company that did benefits planning for businesses in Myrtle Beach. It was at this time she partnered with Brown Bradley, and they were together playing /piano music for 27 years .
In 1998 she and Doug returned to Minnesota to be near Doug’s dad who was in failing health. While there she held the position of volunteer coordinator for Children’s Cancer Research Fund, a fund raising organization for the University of Minnesota, helping children with cancer.
In 2002 Doug accepted a position in the golf industry for a new course being built in Ireland. They were fortunate to spend several months living in Ireland where they met many new Irish friends. In 2004 Jan began working with two real estate agents in the Charleston area as listing/closing coordinator. She stayed with the company until 2016 when they moved to Brevard.
Jan instantly became involved with the Brevard Philharmonic and served as a board member. She was the chair of the search committee that brought the current artistic director and conductor to the Philharmonic.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Roger A. Sorensen and niece Chris Ellen Sorensen.
Jan is survived by her husband of 51 years, Doug. Also surviving are brother, Robert (Anne) Sorensen, St. James, MN; and sister-in-law Elly Sorensen, Murrells Inlet, SC, as well as several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church 2pm, Sunday, March 19, 2023. Memorials, if desired, may be made to: Brevard-Davidson Presbyterian Church Music Fund, 249 East Main
Street, Brevard, NC 28712, or Brevard Philharmonic, P.O. Box 1547, Brevard, NC 28712.
Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com
Moody-Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.