Rickey “Sparky” Hart, 75, of Great Falls, MT, passed away surrounded by family at Peace Hospice on December 11, 2023, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. Rickey was born in Great Falls, MT, on April 21, 1948, to Jack and Dorothy (Oriet) Hart. He grew up in the Great Falls area and loved the summers spent camping with his family. He attended local schools and was a member of the first graduating class from C.M Russell High School.
He joined the Marine Corps in 1968; during his time as a Marine, he was stationed at El Toro Marine Base in California and was a Vietnam War veteran. He rose up the ranks, retiring as an F-4 Crew Chief, having served two tours in Vietnam, and received numerous awards and accolades; He completed his service after 14 years in 1983. After completing his military service, Rickey moved back to Great Falls with his family and held many different jobs over the years including mechanic, truck driver and security guard.
Early in his life, Rickey enjoyed professional racing; He raced funny cars and dragsters. Throughout his life, he enjoyed building, restoring, and working on cars. He especially loved his Corvettes and roadsters, having just recently completed restoring a 1915 Model T roadster and building a 1927 Ford Coupe with his sons.
Rickey is survived by his daughter Brandi Hoffman of Cottonwood, ID; sons Steve (Trace) Hart of Great Falls, MT and Jonathan (Heather) Hart of Great Falls, MT; additionally, he is survived by 7 grandchildren Clint, Trent, Lindsey, Tyler, Austin, Marek and Maddison.
He was preceded in death by his parents Jack and Dorothy, brother Ken, and sister Pat.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
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