Robert Churchill Hartlen, 87, passed peacefully on Feb 15, 2021. His mind was strong but his body could go on no more. Robert known as “just Bob” was born in Milton, Queens County, N.S., the eldest of nine children to Ethel (Tarr) and Reginald Hartlen. Bob is survived by his sister Helen (Basil) Hanley and brothers Paul (Marg) Hartlen and Reg (Debbie) Hartlen. Bob was predeceased by his sister Alice and brothers Ronald, Douglas and Keith.
Bob grew up in Mersey Point, Queens County where he spent his early years tending to the family garden and the livestock. He often went to do chores for Grampa Tarr on his beloved bicycle and supported the community by lending a hand wherever he could. Bob developed his passions very young for hunting, fishing and the outdoors (a lot that he gained from his Scout leader Clarence Oickle) and carried them throughout his life. As a kid, Bob was often at the local fishing wharf seeing what the fishermen had landed that day and he could take home for supper.
In his younger days, he loved to travel to the local halls and listen to Hank Snow and friends play music. He continued to take in live local music shows whenever he could into his eighties, ideally at a bean supper. He played the guitar (a treasured Gibson in his later years) and sang with his friends and family whenever he could. Among his favourite artists were Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins and Rose Cousins.
Bob worked for a season on a farm but the wanderlust and lack of pay got the better of him. Bob found an opportunity to sail on one of the ships leaving Liverpool Harbour as a steward. Bob loved working on the ships and found his way to work as a deckhand sailing on the Great Lakes. Before long he landed a job with Imperial Oil where he worked for over 30 years. He started on deck but really “flourished” when given the opportunity to work in the ship’s engine room. Bob took great pride in keeping the ships engines running in top shape. He had lots of memories working in the engine room with great ship mates who became lifelong friends. Bob studied and progressed his Marine Engineering career while travelling to many foreign ports around the world with Imperial Oil and was pleased to be on the ship that brought the first oil from the Arctic.
Bob married Alice (Andrews) in Liverpool and they worked together to design and build their dream home at Molega Lake for their growing family, daughter Gayle and son Douglas. Bob and Alice loved to cook, entertain, and gather with friends and family at “The Lake”. Bob’s family moved to Shelburne, then Dartmouth so Alice could follow her career but “The Lake” remained a place of great pride and joy for Bob, no matter where he lived.
In 1985, Bob and family were devastated when their beloved Alice passed away from cancer at 46 years of age. Bob continued working but soon retired and moved to “The Lake” fulltime to help care for his parents, who lived around the cove on Molega Lake. Bob connected with son Ricky and daughter Vicki (Larry) Veinot and family in his later years.
Bob spent his time at “The Lake” with close friends and family following his passions: Cooking shows on PBS, live music (especially bluegrass), spoiling his Ford trucks and tending his wood furnace so he would know the weather outside. Bob’s love of learning showed in his knowledge of firearms as he loved to pour over the details of his gun and ammunition books.
Many hours were spent with brother Reg and friends Chris and Wilfred ‘discussing’ the best way to plant their gardens and which recipes they should be using after harvest. Bob loved when nephew Craig and niece Cindy would stop by for a visit with their families. Throughout Bob’s life he was an avid CBC listener from Peter Gzowski to Jeff Douglas and always had a good radio on the ship by his bunk. If you weren’t up to date with CBC Radio then you didn’t have your priorities straight.
The last year of his life, Bob lived with his son Doug, wife Alison, daughter Grace and dog Rozie in Dartmouth. With his daughter Gayle Smith, her husband Corey, and children, Ellen and Emmet nearby they all gave him the best care they could. Everyone, including the nursing staff, were quizzed regularly on what had been on CBC Radio that day. While the family cared for him, they were still expected to be learning from CBC as well.
Bob left a large footprint wherever he went and all the wonderful nurses that cared for him in the past year loved his stories and sayings. We will surely miss him and his stories but will cherish the memories he gave us all.
In his memory, Bob would have appreciated a home cooked meal shared with your friends and family. A private burial was held at Trinity Anglican Cemetery in Liverpool, NS. Any donations can be made to the award created in Alice’s name at Dalhousie for community health in Dental Hygiene, Alice Hartlen Memorial Prize; http://giving.dal.ca/hartlen
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Quinn, Robert & Lorraine
So sorry to read this. The Hartlen Family when living in Mersey point were often visitors in my family’s kitchen for tea and coffee, and followed the stories of family and friends. I attended school with Alice Andrews, she and I attended school dances, and she served the dental needs of my students in Brookyn for many years. My wife and I bought a cottage at Molega just up from the Hartlen-Andrews family and next to the permanent home of father Reg and his wife also at Molega where we visited often. Lorraine and I send our sincere condolences to the family.
Nancy Anthony
To Bobs’ family: We are so sorry for the loss of your father and brother, we have good memories of Bob growing up. Cousins, Nancy and Aleta (Myra)
Helen McGee
Reg, Debbie and family, So sorry to learn of Bob’s passing. I didn’t know him well but it sounds like his was a life well
lived and loved. He will be greatly missed by all.
Sincerely Helen and Tim McGee
Marilyn Whynot ( Croft)
To Bobby’s family sending my condolences and remember all the special times spent together as a family
Alice Frauzel
Sincere condolences to Bob’s family and friends.
Alice, Terry Frauzel and family
Judi & Ken
Reg and family
Our sincere condolences on the loss of your dear brother Bob. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Charlotte M. White(nee Levy)
To Bob’s family – I grew up almost next door to his family in Mersey Point. Haven’t seen him for a number of years. My sincere sympathy to all of his family. From the sounds of his obit. you have wonderful memories to keep you going for many years. Sorry for your loss, Charlotte & Jack
Betty & Bub Harnish
Sincere sympathy at this difficult time, The years have brought changes to our world and we lose contact with many and has taken away so much we look back on and appreciated. May God grant comfort and peace as you deal with your loss.
Bub & Betty Harnish, Halifax
Janet Fletcher
To Bob’s family,i knew Bob wasn’t doing well,I would run into Helen and Bob in the stores and have a chat.Our home was close to theirs in Mersey Point, Bob was older but we knew all the family ,some grew up and moved to different places.I don’t know Bob’s children ,but Helen and Alice spent many evening at our house.Reg and I went to school together.
To all the family my cousins ,and Bob’s children and families.Bob could make you smile,he had a interesting life ,did many things, and was good to people around him.My sincere condolences to all.
Janet ,George and John Fletcher
Eugene Herman & Sheila Herman
My condolences to Hellen & Reg and families.
Sheila Apostolofski
My thoughts and prayers go out to Bobs Families.He will be missed by all who knew him .Hugs my cousin
Jeannette and Family
Dawn Hanley
So sorry to hear. I remember Bernard talking about Bob, about the gardens, and Bernard showing me around when we visited out to the lake. It was a beautiful place. Hugs to the family.
Gwenda Boyd
Sincere condolences to all the Hartlen family. Bob and Reg were always close.May all your fond memories help at this difficult time to all the family.
Sharon and Barry Levy
Bob’s Family
Please accept our sincere condolences. It was our pleasure to have known Bob . We enjoyed the conversations about his travels and adventures he had in his life.
A true gentleman . So sorry for your loss.
Anne Ring
We are so sorry about Bob’s passing. While living next door to Doug, Allie and Grace, we grew to know Bob and appreciate his sense of humour. He had quite the life and he will be missed by his family and many other people. Rozie will miss all the little treats she received and even the food Bob just didn’t want to eat. Bob was well cared for and he throughly enjoyed spending so much time with his family in the last few years. Hugs to all his family.
Shirley Levy
Sincere Condolences To The Family, My Prayers And Thoughts Are With You, Cherish Your Memories.
Angie( Trask )Bailey
So sorry to hear about your Dad’s passing. He sounds like he was an interesting and passionate man. How wonderful that you were able to care for him at your home. Hugs
Tip, Brad, Keltie, Matthew and Daniel Smith
Didn’t know Bob well but in the few conversations we did have I could tell that he had lots of great stories to tell. A very thoughtful obituary giving us who knew little about Bob’s life a pretty good picture of the man he was. Our deepest sympathy to Corey, Gayle, Emmet, Ellen, Doug, Alli and Grace and the rest of Bob’s family. May all the good memories help you through this time of grief.
Wanda Levy
To Bob’s family, I am sorry for your loss my sincere condolences
Jill Brogan
Dear Gayle, Douglas and families:
I am so sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. He was in interesting man who lived a very full life. I know you will miss him greatly. My hope is that he has been reunited with your lovely mom who was taken too soon, and the rest of his ancestry that has passed.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and hope that your memories of him will bring you some comfort.
Take care.
Vernon & Joyce Hawkes
We are so sorry for your loss. Treasure the memories. Our thoughts are with all the family.