Former Staten Island Advance sportswriter Stephen Hart died on February 14, 2025, after a short battle with cancer. Hart worked for the Advance Sports Department for more than two decades.
Hart, 60, was born to Michael and Kenneth Hart and was their youngest child among three boys.
Though born in Manhattan, Hart always believed himself to be a native of Staten Island.
The beloved sportswriter attended St. Margaret Mary’s parochial school and later graduated from Monsignor Farewell High School in Oakwood.
Stephen went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Staten Island.
He joined the Advance Sports staff in 1989 and held various roles in the sports department.
Hart began writing for the Advance’s high school sports in 1993, a position he held until June 2004.
Stephen even switched to the News department for a year and worked as a reporter. He returned to writing sports in November 2005.
He began his new role as a teacher in 2009 and joined the school St. Joseph by the Sea.
Stephen turned his part-time teaching into a full-time job in 2016 after quitting the Advance.
Hart’s funeral service will be held at St. Joseph by the Sea High School on February 24, 2025, at 9:30 AM.
Family And Friends Remember The Former Sportswriter Stephen Hart
A man who touched many people’s lives, Stephen Hart’s demise was met with many anecdotes from close friends.
Stephen’s former colleague at Advance, Dan O’Leary, said, “I worked with Steve for seven years and no one hit a pun harder — or more often. Steve was a volume shooter with puns.“
Dan continued, “He went for a laugh in both his writing and verbally from his usual spot in the back corner.
It’s how it was working with the guy, tossing out joke grenades looking for a laugh or a groan or anything to get us to turn around.“
St. Joseph by the Sea High School released a statement on Stephen’s demise on February 15. The school wrote,
It is our sad duty to announce the passing of Mr. Stephen Hart. Mr. Hart has been an esteemed member of the St. Joseph by-the-Sea faculty since 2009. He was an anchor in the English Department, a #1 fan to our sports teams, and a moderator for many clubs, from Sports Discussion to Creative Writing.
via: Facebook
The former sportswriter Hart is survived by his parents, Patricia and Kenneth, and his two older brothers, Michael and Kenneth.
His brother, Michael Hart, shared the news of Stephen’s demise on his Facebook handle.
He wrote, “Unfortunately I have to post the news that my brother, Stephen Hart passed away early this morning.”
Michael continued, “He was not only funny, smart, generous, and caring but a great son, brother, writer, and teacher.
Filled many people with happiness in his short 60 years. To say he will be missed is a huge understatement.”
Michael tagged his brother’s Facebook handle on his post, and the last post shared by the former sportswriter was a scene from the movie Godzilla Minus One.
Many of Stephen’s friends will always remember him as a movie buff who shared his opinion of the film on social media.
As said by his friends, Stephen rarely missed an episode of the Oscars and loved debating about the winners afterward.
Former Sportswriter Stephen Hart Had A Big Heart
A week before his passing, Stephen Hart’s loved ones had organized a GoFundMe page for the sportswriter.
The GoFundMe was organized by Hart’s close friend, Sam Borowski, while Stephen was laid in a bed at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.
The fundraiser was organized to help Stephen pay off his medical bills and if not, for special arrangements to be made later.
A man with a big heart, Stephen once donated his hard-earned money to a school.
Once, Hart won a Big A Award at the Advance and the small sum of money that went along with it.
The sportswriter won the award and the amount for doing a feature story about St. Peter’s hockey player, who died from cancer.
The other time, Hart bought his former colleague, Charlie DeBiase Jr., a signed portrait of hockey player Chris Kreider.
DeBiase said, “Generous? He was generous to a fault, and I do mean to a fault. I mean, where do you put all that stuff?“
In Case You Didn’t Know
- During his lifetime, Hart was a fan of the New York Mets, Minnesota Vikings, New York Rangers, New York Knicks, and the University of Notre Dame.
- The sportswriter Stephen Hart was also a massive fan of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
