98, died peacefully on November 24, 2025, at home surrounded by loved ones. His final days were full of tenderness and continuous expressions of love from family and friends.
Bob was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 12, 1927, and raised in Stevens Point, WI, by Bessie and Walter Hartman. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Barbara (Williams) Hartman, daughters Linda (Rich) LaMunyon, Cathy (Dave) Jahntz, Laura (Tom) Habel, sons Scott (Jen) Hartman, Robbie (Rebecca Schlei) Hartman, grandchildren Kristi Rutta, Becki Rutta Jolles, Michelle Jahntz Rohde, Chris Jahntz, Dustin Habel, Alex Hartman, Willow Hartman, Omi Hartman and 10 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Lynn Bethke and Jean Kashou, brother-in-law Brian (Debbie) Williams, along with beloved nieces, friends, neighbors, students, and every passerby who reflected back his radiant smile.
A basketball star in both high school and college (Stevens Point State), Bob became a coach and life-long sports fan. Eventually attaining an M.Ed at UW-Madison, his teaching, coaching and administrative career took him from Bowler to Middleton, Menomonee Falls to Germantown (and a few stops inbetween). After 34 years, Bob hung up his education cleats to move to California, embracing a new adventure as a full-time father to his 8- and 6-year-old sons.
To know Bob is to know someone who loved connecting with people. A hearty hello, a warm hug, a shared joke, a kind word. These were the hallmarks of his long and meaningful life.
Bob was always thrilled to see you because you mattered. Your life, your family, your interests. He wanted to hear about it. And he also wanted to share. He loved sharing. You’ll never find someone who was more proud of his family and friends. He never missed an opportunity to talk about his wife, his kids, his grandkids and great-grandkids, his friends far and wide, past and present, and how lucky he was to know such great people.
We were all made greater by his presence and focus and love. He never ran low on “I love yous.”
If you liked baseball, basketball and football, you moved up a notch. If you rooted for the Brewers, Bucks and Packers, you elevated even higher. If you rooted for the Dodgers or Yankees, he would pretend it was OK. But consider the Brewers instead.
His interests were diverse. Education, travel, current events. He could talk for hours. The smell of coffee and the sound of newspaper pages turning provided a soundtrack to his mornings. But he wasn't limited to his own interests. If you were into something, then he was into it too. He wanted to know all about it. Because it connected you to him, and that mattered.
You mattered. Bob mattered. And that connection is his legacy. Keep learning. Laugh easily. Embrace family and friends. Tell them you love them. Bob loved life. He loved you. With all his heart. He always did, and he always will.
As he requested, his family will have a private celebration of life. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his honor to The Ability Center (tacwi.org), the Soujourner Family Peace Center (https://www.familypeacecenter.org/donate) or The Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (https://ffws.org/contact/).
