Harold Maxwell Barnhart passed away on December 8, 2017 of natural causes at River Glen Health Care Center in Southbury Connecticut. He was born in West Pittston Pennsylvania on January 28, 1925 to Thomas and Florence Barnhart. He was the second of five children in the family.
At a young age, Harold developed a passion for railroading. He yearned to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a locomotive engineer, despite the death of his father during a railroad accident in 1935 when Harold was only 10. After graduating from West Pittston High School, Harold secured an entry level job as a locomotive fireman with the goal of working his way up to engineer. However, his dream had to be put on hold as World War II raged and Harold was drafted in 1943. Harold served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946. He was attached to the Army Medical Corps and his tour of duty saw him stationed throughout the North Africa theater.
Returning home after war, Harold looked to resume his railroad career, but the war had advanced technology and the romantic era of steam powered locomotives was dying, giving way to new diesel and electric engines. The need for engineers and firemen was rapidly diminishing. With his hours cut back Harold took a second job at a local bakery where he met his future wife. On January 28, 1947, Harold and Rosemary Howell were married and soon after moved to Bridgeport Connecticut to make a life together. In Bridgeport, Harold joined the United Illuminating Company as a meter reader. Over the years he worked his way up through the organization reaching the position of Supervisor of Fuel Handling. In this capacity Harold participated in the company’s conversion from coal to oil fuel at Bridgeport Harbor Station. He subsequently supervised all operations related to scheduling and unloading of sea-going oil tankers, transfer of oil through-out the multi-tank storage facility and ensuring an uninterrupted flow of fuel to the company’s three giant turbine electric power generators. He also acted as the main point of contact for oil suppliers, tanker captains and crew, the U.S. Coast Guard and the E.P.A. Harold retired from the U.I. after 30 years and eventually moved to Sarasota Florida in 1987. After many happy years in Florida, failing health led Harold and Rosemary to move back to Connecticut in 2005 to be closer to family.
Harold was predeceased by his wife Rosemary who passed on December 22, 2015 after 68 years of marriage. He is also predeceased by his four siblings Jack, Ruth, Mary Lou and Ralph. He is survived by a daughter Sharon of Torrington Connecticut and a son Thomas and his wife JoAnne of Newtown Connecticut along with a cherished grand-daughter Nicole of New York, New York.
Funeral Services and interment in Newtown Village Cemetery will be private. Friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, Connecticut on Saturday, December 16, 2017 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.

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