Mary Ann Seitz Hart papers

Mary Ann Seitz Hart was born on August 15, 1936, in Denver, Colorado to Mary Elizabeth Dunn and Francis C. Hart. The family of ten moved to Medford, Oregon and then settled in Boise, Idaho. Hart graduated high school from St. Teresa’s Academy before attending college at Loretto Heights College in Colorado. She returned to Boise and married Robert Seitz in 1956; they had four children together before divorcing in 1969. Hart began her career at the American Red Cross working with service members and their families. She then moved into a position at the Boise Independent School District working with senior citizens. She helped to create a program for seniors called XYZ (eXtra Years of Zest) as part of the Boise Community Schools.

In 1977 she became the Director of Aging for the City of Boise as well as Executive Director of the Boise Council on Aging, a senior-managed, non-profit agency which manages the Boise Senior Center, as well as federally and grant funded services including the nationally recognized Growing Younger program, meal delivery, transportation, and outreach activities. Hart along with the help of Mayor Eardley, the board of Boise Council on Aging, and active community members built the Dick Eardley Senior Center of Boise.

While working as Executive Director of the Boise Council on Aging, Hart was honored as an Idaho Statesman’s Distinguished Citizen. She retired from her position in 1986 to focus on completing her degree in communications and became active in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University. She became a certified mediator, and continued working and volunteering with numerous non-profit organizations until her death on May 20, 2020 in Boise, Idaho.