By Milton Kirby | Vero Beach, FL | November 17, 2025

A Life of Service Remembered

In Gifford, the measure of a person’s life is often found in the work they leave behind. It’s written in the stories people tell, the hands a leader lifts, and the ground a man helps steady when everything around him feels like it might shake loose. That is the kind of life Victor Hart Sr. lived — steady, humble, unbending in his love for people.

Hart, the longtime president of the Indian River County NAACP chapter, is remembered for walking with humility but speaking with a purposeful voice to provide opportunities for others. He died on November 13 at the age of 94.

From Cat Island to Gifford

Victor Hart, Sr.’s journey from his birthplace in 1931 in Old Bight Settlement on Cat Island in the Bahamas to Gifford in 1953 is a testament to his resilience and determination. He arrived in Florida with a fifth-grade education and a fruit picker’s job but quickly came to understand the hard lines of segregation in his new home.

He remembered an early trip to Orlando, when he wanted a sandwich and was told he wasn’t allowed to go through the front door.

“Well, I didn’t know there were two kinds of people,” he said. “So I just went on through that door. And I kept doing that.”

“Where I come from in the Bahamas, all people needed to know was that my name is Victor Hart,” he explained. “That’s who I was. In the Bahamas, we had lived as one.”

Challenging Barriers, Opening Doors

Those experiences pushed Hart toward a life of challenge and service. Though he did not first see himself as a civil rights figure, he later reflected, “I had never thought of myself as a civil rights worker — but I guess that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

Back in 1961, he recalled, “I got a crew together and I said, ‘Fellas, I don’t know what the law is all about in this country, but I’m not going to go around to the back.’”

From that determination came the Progressive Civic League in Gifford and the county’s NAACP chapter. Hart was the first to organize both.

“It was tough in those days,” he said. “You couldn’t just ride around — you had to go in groups.” Organizing offered some measure of safety and a collective voice.

Over the years, Victor Hart Sr.’s humble yet unflinching leadership was instrumental in bringing significant improvements to Gifford. His efforts led to the delivery of clean water, paved roads, streetlights, medical and community centers, the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, and the park that now bears his name.

A Father Who Lived His Values Out Loud

Hart’s public work was matched by the example he set at home.

“My father was a warrior. He was a fighter. He was a fighter to the end,” said his daughter, Vickie Hart-Brant. “My daddy was my hero. Daddy just understood so much.”

She described him as well-read and highly intellectual, noting that he kept up with the issues by reading five newspapers. Education, she said, was very important to him.

Hart instilled his values in his children. Hart-Brant remembers riding with him as he used a loudspeaker to remind people to vote. The family helped give rides to polling locations, joined parades, and took part in events to promote the community.

He taught them the art of negotiation and the importance of respecting others, regardless of their disagreement. His motto, she said, was simple: “I can disagree with you, but I don’t have to be disagreeable.”

He also insisted on integrity in his civic work. Hart-Brant recalled that he never took a penny from anyone. “My daddy financed his own work. His integrity was intact. He sacrificed to help promote and advocate for the people of Gifford. He loved the people of Gifford,” she said. “He was a God-fearing man. Faith and his family were the two most important things in his life.”

A Calming Presence in Difficult Times

County Commissioner Deryl Loar, a former sheriff, worked closely with Hart during difficult moments and witnessed his influence firsthand. Everyone called him “Chief.”  “That was the respect that he commanded,” Loar said.

Hart had a calming effect on the community, even during times of racial tension. After the murder of George Floyd, when emotions and frustration ran high, Hart’s voice and presence helped steady Gifford.

“There were several instances when there could have been unrest, absent Victor Hart, Sr. calming the community,” Loar said.

A Legacy Etched Into a Park and a Community

The community’s respect and gratitude for Victor Hart, Sr.’s work were formally recognized in 2017, when Gifford Park on 43rd Avenue was renamed the Victor Hart Sr. Community Enhancement Complex. The well-attended ceremony made history: it was the first Indian River County-owned facility to be named for a person of color. This recognition is a source of pride for the entire community.

Victor Hart, Sr. Community Enhancement Complex.

The well-attended ceremony made history: it was the first Indian River County-owned facility to be named for a person of color.

The people of Gifford had long considered Hart an icon. Now there is a permanent and very visible testament to the esteem he earned through decades of work.

Tony Brown, Hart’s hand-picked successor as NAACP president, put it plainly: “When you mention an accomplishment in Gifford, you cannot get too far away from Victor Hart.”

According to County Commissioner Bob Solari, who made the motion to rename the park, “Few people have done so much for the community with so little personal benefit. He’s been working at it daily for almost 60 years.”

Today, the 39-acre Victor Hart, Sr. Community Enhancement Complex includes athletic fields, a large playground, the Gifford Aquatic Center, the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, basketball and tennis courts, a football field, a lighted Little League field, picnic pavilions with grills, restrooms, walking trails, fitness equipment, and parking areas. It operates daily from 7 a.m. until sunset and provides a safe and engaging environment for families and children.

Pets, alcohol, open fires, and camping are not allowed within the park, underscoring its role as a community space focused on recreation, safety, and connection.

‘It Feels Good… Now Somebody Says Thank You’

In 2013, Hart was honored with a living memorial at Historic Macedonia Church in Gifford. At age 82, he sat on a bench engraved with his name, alongside County Commissioner Bob Solari. The bench and accompanying plaque were placed outside the church at 2800 45th Street, across from Gifford Middle School.

“It feels good; people don’t usually do anything for me,” Hart said at the time. “Now somebody says thank you; at least they let me know they appreciate me.”

For the people of Gifford, the appreciation had been there all along — in clean water, paved roads, streetlights, community centers, youth programs, and a park that carries his name. For nearly 60 years, whenever something significant changed for the better in Gifford, it was almost always the result of Victor Hart’s work.

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