Obituary: John Hartford

July 22, 1947 – March 27, 2023

John Charles Hartford, the man with nine lives, expended his last at the age of 75, the morning of Monday March 27th 2023 at his cabin in Georgia surrounded by loved ones. Born in Oklahoma City, an Eagle Scout and Corpsman in the Navy, John had a successful career in the railroad industry. Spending summers showing off his signature gainer dive along with teaching kids to swan dive and cannonball at the community pool, organizing Halloween hayrides, and Christmas caroling earned him the “Coolest Dad” in the neighborhood title across many years. Also known as “The Big Time Boss”, John was an adventure seeker and traveler, from mountain biking in Vail Colorado on his 70th birthday, to racing cars (sometimes legally), to a trip around the world with his best friend visiting 15 countries on 5 continents in under 3 weeks. John enjoyed being on the move and filling life with exciting experiences for himself and those around him. An avid skier and music lover, John has been described as funny, charming, a good friend, and mentor by many people fortunate enough to cross his path. John is survived by a son, Shon Hartford, three daughters, Lacey Hartford, Ashley Shirley, and Courtney Flors, eight lucky grandchildren, and his ever faithful companion, Russell the Australian Shepherd with eyes bright and striking just like his owner. John was preceded in death by his loving parents, Walter and Evelyn Hartford, who adopted John at 6 months old, and we are sure they are now spending lots of time telling John how proud they are of him. In recognition of John’s passion for helping others, his family asks those who would like to honor him by making a donation to a cause that meant a lot to John, helping children in foster care and supporting those in need, consider The Village Project https://cotc.com/thevillage/ or nonprofit of your choice. Checks can be sent to Church of the City/Village, 828 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin TN 37064 or online at https://cotc.com/franklin/give-online/ by choosing FUND – The Village, and including “in honor of John Hartford” in the memo line.