Denny Hart's love for his family, banking and golf were his most visible pursuits, but his passion for helping people in need drove him in quiet ways.

"He loved to help the common man, and it was pretty much without notice," said Ernie Beaudet, who worked at Hart's Bank of Kansas for 33 years.

Born D. Densmore Shute Hart on Nov. 25, 1934, he died Monday, July 27, 2009, at Hospice House in Hutchinson at the age of 74.

He was born to Frank and Clola Stansbury Hart in Ulysses. The family later moved to South Hutchinson, where his father had a grocery store. He graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1952, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from Michigan State University in 1956. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1959 with a master's of business administration. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

He worked for Kroger land development in Phoenix from his graduation until 1961. He returned to Hutchinson at that time when his family bought Farmers and Merchant State Bank in Partridge. They moved the bank to South Hutchinson. It was later renamed Bank of Kansas and expanded into Hutchinson in 1996. He was president and chief executive officer until 2007 when he sold the bank to Southwest Bancorp, based in Stillwater, Okla. He became a director of Southwest at the time of the sale.

On Oct. 17, 1988, he married Janie Rimmer in Hutchinson. They had one daughter, Shelby, who is a college student.

He was quite athletic for most of his life. At Hutchinson High School, he lettered in football, basketball, tennis and track. His school record in the long jump, set in the early 1950s, was broken just recently.

When Woody Kramer retired in 1984 as coordinator of athletics at Hutchinson High School, he told The Hutchinson News that Hart and another athlete were two of the best he had seen in his career. "They were little guys, but they beat everybody," he said.

Golf became his passion in the 1960s, and he played his last round just three weeks before his death.

"He was a lousy golfer when I first met him," said Pat Thompson, a former Prairie Dunes staff member. "Then, he really started to work at it. He ended up with a great career as an amateur golfer in Kansas." At various times, he was both the Hutchinson city and Prairie Dunes champion.

Thompson went on to a lengthy career in investment banking. He maintained a close friendship with Hart from the day they met in 1964 until his death.

"He loved the game and he gave an awful lot back to the game," Thompson said. Hart served on the board and as president of the board at Prairie Dunes, Hutchinson's famed golf club. He was the founder of the Hutchinson Golf Council, which runs local golf tournaments. He became a rules official for the United States Golf Association and was certified to work at every USGA level, including the U.S. Open, one of golf's four major tournaments.

"He was a joy to work with," Beaudet said. "He was great with his people. That was the most important thing to him."

Hart learned enough Spanish to converse with Spanish-speaking customers. His goal was to make them feel welcome.

"He did a lot for a lot of young people that no one ever heard about," Thompson said, especially students at Hutchinson Community College. "If a kid needed help, he tried to help."

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife and daughter, of the home; a sister, Barbara and her husband, Bob Featherston, Tulsa; and his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. John Rimmer, Hutchinson.

Memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 31, 2009, at Grace Episcopal Church, 2 Hyde Park Drive, Hutchinson, with Reverend Michael P. Milliken officiating. Cremation will take place and friends may sign the book Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary. Private family committal will be held at the Grace Episcopal Church Columbarium.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Reno County or the D. Densmore Shute Hart Athletic Scholarship Fund at Hutchinson Community Foundation, both in care of Elliott Mortuary.

Visit www.elliottmortuary.com to leave condolences for the family.