Obituary of Carl Harbart

 With great sadness our family announces the passing of beloved partner, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend Carl Harbart on October 19, 2022 at the age of 87.

Carl was born on January 29, 1935 to Madeline and Adolf Harbart in Woodhaven, Queens. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School from 1949-1953, then Pratt Institute where he got his BA in Interior Design. After graduating he accepted a position at General Motors designing car interiors.

Carl went on to receive a Masters Degree from Columbia University, Teachers College in 1963.  Where he studied under Margaret Mead and joined her Explorer’s Club, receiving tutorial grants to study cultures and architecture around the world making friends everywhere he traveled, always inviting them for a dinner, a place to stay in New York and a delicious cocktail.

Among Carl's many accomplishments, he was Founder and Partner of The New York Planning Corp, an architecture and urban design company, designing specialty spaces like the first Gucci store front in Manhattan. He later established his own interior design firm and was proud that his work was featured in Architectural Digest.  He was very interested in city planning and was a member of several civic, transportation, and education groups where he regularly attended and was asked to speak at conferences around the country. Carl was also very involved with a group advocating for the development of the High-Line in Manhattan. He was instrumental in the creation of a number of community gardens including a roof-top garden in his building. He went on to become a teacher at Bayshore High School, in Long Island, inspiring many students with his love of art and international travel.  As a gifted photographer with a collection of over 30 thousand slides, he gave lectures inspiring others to explore the world and learn about cultures and architecture, like the arc of a lamppost or the unique style of Spirit houses.

Carl visited every country in the world that he could legally get into and often brought his children to places like the Galapagos Islands, Morocco, Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, along with regular family trips throughout Europe and England. For all his travels, Carl always loved New York City and would conduct personal tours of various neighborhoods with detailed dissertations about their history and development One cannot overlook his love of the evolution the subway and rail way system.  He also took great pride in his German heritage, lovingly reminiscing about the many family get-togethers, some in the mansion in Hollis, always offering to play the piano, and sharing these stories with his Grandchildren. 

Carl is survived by his loving partner Gail Baum, who he was with for over fifty years, June Evans, his wife from 1960-1970, his son Warren Harbart (Dawn Handler), daughter Wendy Beyer (Evan, deceased), his grandchildren, Jack, Sara, and Zoe, many loving cousins and Paracelsus.

He will be laid to rest in a private family service at All Saints Lutheran Cemetery and a Celebration of Life to be arranged in the Spring. If you are interested in attending the celebration. please send an email to wendyjb313@gmail.com 

In leui of flowers a donation to one of his most beloved organizations, Municipal Art Society of New

York. (MAS.org)