Mary Hart

2 MIN. READ 

Mary Fadukovich Hart was born to Yosef & Varvara Fadukovich on August 7, 1930, in Joliet, IL, and passed away on Sunday, December 24, 2023.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Johnathan M. Hart, Jr., her parents, and her brother Joseph Fadukovich, and three sisters, Olga, Marfa, & Nashtya, who died in Russia in the great flu epidemic during the Russian Revolutionary War while being sent by cattle car train to Siberia. The sisters are buried in unknown graves along the Siberian railroad.

As an early teen, Mary became aware of a spiritual element missing in her life. Eventually, she was invited to church and soon began reading and understanding the Bible and attending services. After a time, she learned that all people are sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) but God’s son gave his life so that we can have eternal life through his sacrifice, if we confess our sins and accept Jesus as our savior (Romans 10:9).

Mary, whose primary language in youth was Russian, grew up in a Russian immigrant town called Rockdale, IL. She graduated in three years as valedictorian from Joliet Township High School and attended Anderson College in Anderson, IN where she graduated as salutatorian. She met Johnathan M. Hart, Jr. at Anderson and they married, having two children, David Keith and Melody Joy. She was offered a position at the UN as an interpreter but turned it down for family reasons. She and her husband John settled in Illinois where he was a civil engineer and she became a teacher and taught for 30 years.

In 1995, Mary and John, who were retired, served as missionaries to Russia for one year with Commission. They served in Sumy, Ukraine and Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Mary was a member of Northside Baptist Church.

Mary is survived by her son David (Anna Marie) Hart and her daughter Melody Joy (Gary A Benjamin) Hart, seven grandchildren David Petit, Joseph (Alyssa Baumann) Petit, Sarah (Jeremy) Mouw, Asa (Krista) Hart, Josiah (Miho) Hart, Jared (Adrienne Joy [A.J.]) Hart, & Rachel Hart, two step-grandchildren Nicholas and Kirsten Benjamin, and eight great-grandchildren Iris Petit, Judah Mouw, Jordan Mouw, Samuel Mouw, John-Luther Hart, Lorna Mae Hart, Nanami Esther Hart, and Isaiah Hart.

Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.