Royal Hart, 83, of Annapolis, died Jan. 2 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Born in Jefferson, Ore. on March 14, 1926, he attended public schools in Oregon and received a bachelor's degree from Willamette University and attended graduate school at the University of Washington and the University of Oregon. Mr. Hart served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946.

He moved from Oregon to Washington, D.C. area in 1950 when he took a position with the National Archives. After leaving the National Archives, he attained prominence as a professional photographer, whose subjects included President John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt. Mr. Hart served as a delegate to the National Council for The Professional Photographers of America from 1959-1960.

He was a long time member of the Paint Branch Unitarian Church where he served on the Board of Trustees and as an advisor to the Church's High School Youth Group.

In the early 1960's he refocused his energy to Maryland politics. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1962 and to the Maryland Senate in 1966, where he served until 1970. He remained active in Maryland politics winning the Democratic nomination for the Fifth Congressional District and serving on the Prince George's County Council. After he retired from elected office, he served as Prince George's County Legislative Liaison until 1994.

Most recently Royal served on the Annapolis Historic Preservation Committee.

Royal is survived by his wife, Nancy Hart; two children, Evalee Dumas of New Carrollton; Gordon Hart of Port Orange, Fla.; four step-children, David Smith of Bowie, Karen Slay of Severna Park, Suzi Patterson of Severna Park and Scott Smith of Mansfield, Texas; twelve grandchildren, four great-grand children; one sister, Helen Bailey of Portland, Ore., as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Published in The Capital on January 7, 2010