on death

Bret Coley Harte 2/2/80 - 3/21/05 Bret was suddenly taken from us this past Monday by what the CHP classifies as a non-contact hit and run. "Bret swerved to the right to avoid a white Honda Accord that suddenly went into his lane." This Hwy 680 accident is currently under investigation, and witnesses are asked to contact the CHP. Bret will be remembered as a devoted son, caring friend, and committed artist. Bret graduated from Miramonte High School in 1998, and went on to pursue a double major in Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Bowdoin College in Maine. He graduated in 2002. Thoughout his young life Bret held many jobs, but above all Bret was an impassioned theatrical director. Theatre was Bret's passion and his means to express his love of life. His profound intellect and artistic enthusiasm will be sorely missed. Bret's directorial credits include Hair, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Inherit the Wind, and Six Ives of November. Bret was currently directing a production of Mrs. Frederick for the San Leandro Players and he had recently cast Rumors for the Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Bret was a wonderful young man who enriched the many lives he touched with his beautiful smile and warm heart. Words cannot describe the loss experienced by those who knew and loved him. Bret is survived by his loving parents, Dennis and Juanita Harte, his grandparents, Mrs.Willie Coley and Mr.and Mrs. Frank A. Harte, as well as many close friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 26 at 11:30 am at Hull's Walnut Creek Chapel, 1139 Saranap Ave., Walnut Creek, CA 94595. Guests are encouraged to share their memories of Bret and how he touched their lives. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bret's name to the Berkeley Repertory Theater, "Bret C. Harte Young Director's Fund", c/o Berkeley Rep., 2025 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94704. Hull's Walnut Creek Chapel 925-934-5400 Published in the Contra Costa Times on 3/24/2005.

The past few days have been very strange since I heard about Bret's death. It still hasn't really hit me. I always thought that one of my friends in high school would get married before one of them passed away.

Bret was a really good guy. I think coming out of high school I can probably only say I had a handful of good friends. Grosse and Moche, they kind of came together - though I was definitely closer with Grosse. Of my other group of friends, it was Bret and Bien that I was closest to. Funny how I ended up friends with him because he was the boyfriend of my best friend and the three of us just always ended up hanging out together - but they were the first couple that never made me feel like a third wheel.

Bret always called me "Chris". He was one of the most passionate people I knew, and despite the fact that we were so different, I could really respect his passion for acting and public speaking. He was a true friend, one who stuck by me, one whose shoulder you literally could always lean on. He really understood how to care for others, and one word that comes to mind to describe him was empathetic.

I remember hanging out at his house, with his ridiculously steep driveway. He was an only child, and I remember commiserating with him about the "Wall of Bret" and the "Wall of Chris" at our houses.

When we were freshmen at our respective colleges (he went to Bowdoin in Maine) he came to visit me in Boston once. We went all around Boston and took pictures as the leaves were changing colors. We slowly lost touch, but one year we hadn't really talked in awhile and he remembered my birthday and sent me a card and a stuffed bear from Bowdoin. It was a nice unexpected surprise.

In high school Bret was staunchly atheistic. Reading his obituary and seeing how he did some productions for churches makes me hopeful that perhaps he did come to know Jesus before he passed away.

I guess it's a fact of life that people will pass in and out of your life, and that losing touch is a natural thing. There are very few people from high school that I still keep in touch with, and I wonder how small the number will become of those from college. Even those who you considered your inner circle of friends - will they last? Hearing about Bret's death made me realize that people will not be around forever, and sometimes there may not be another day to put off calling them or seeing them.

It's so hard to believe that he's gone.

Bret had the worst handwriting known to man. But if I saw it today, I bet I could still read it.