Former Fort Worth councilwoman and her husband die in crash

Former Fort Worth Councilwoman Cathy Hirt and her husband, Darrell, were killed in a car accident Friday night in Hungary.

The two had been traveling through Europe for two weeks on a vacation that included time in Prague and Vienna before a final stop in Budapest — where Cathy Hirt’s parents had lived — to see relatives.

They were on their way back to the hotel when the taxi they were in collided with a truck, killing the Hirts and the taxi driver, said Cathy Hirt’s brother, Karl Csaky of Dallas.

“It’s tragic,” Csaky said. “They were supposed to be flying back [Saturday].”

Friends and family were reeling from the unexpected news Saturday as word began to spread around town.

“I think the whole Fort Worth community is grieving and praying for the family,” said Mary Kay Hughes, a longtime friend of Cathy Hirt. “We are devastated for the loss.”

Both were lauded for their work in the community: Hers included a stint on the council and two bids for mayor and his as a well-known and respected Fort Worth kidney doctor.

“They were very generous with the community and did a lot of charitable things,” said Cathy Holt, a family friend who served as Cathy Hirt’s mayoral campaign manager in 2011. “They lived life at full speed, and they liked adventures.

“This is a big loss for Fort Worth.”

Political involvement

Mrs. Hirt, 61, represented District 9 on the council from 1996 to 1999 and made unsuccessful bids for mayor, at the urging of family and friends, in 2003 and 2011.

When running for mayor the second time, she told the Star-Telegram that she stepped up because “this is not a time for feel-good politics. … This is a time for roll-up-the-sleeves, look-the-problems-in-the-face, get-real politics. I mean real hard work, real political will, real engagement, real determination.”

Mrs. Hirt, who had a law degree from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. in educational public policy from Vanderbilt University, won her term on the council by beating then political novice Wendy Davis, who later won election to that council seat and went on to serve in the Texas Senate and run for governor.

“She was a wonderful woman who gave so much to the community,” said Debby Stein, Mrs. Hirt’s former council aide. “She was a great friend; definitely someone we will miss greatly.”

Through the years, she served on a variety of boards and commissions, ranging from Catholic Charities and Communities in Schools to the Young Women’s Leadership Academy and the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods.

“Cathy had a big heart for people and a passion for policy that would help those people,” said Jason Smith, a Fort Worth lawyer. “Her leadership in Fort Worth will be greatly missed.”

Darrell Hirt will be equally missed, Smith said.

“Dr. Hirt was a gentle soul who was committed to his patients 24/7,” Smith said. “They are great parents and raised three great kids.”

Family ties

Csaky said it is important to note that family and community were his sister’s top priorities.

“She was very much involved in various community activities in Fort Worth,” he said. “She had a real desire to think of other people and how she could improve their lives at both the personal level … and the larger capacity of community and society.

“That’s why she was involved in politics,” he said. “There was a true sense of thinking outside herself and what were the needs of the world.”

As for his brother-in-law, Csaky said family and his medical work were top priorities.

“He took great pride — had a sense of responsibility — in taking care of the sick.

“He was extremely dedicated to his profession,” he said. “He was the consummate physician, and he was a tremendous support for Cathy and her dreams.”

The Hirts had three children — Karl Joseph Hirt, Alex Hirt and Tina Hirt.

Csaky said funeral services are being planned.

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Former Fort Worth councilwoman and her husband die in crash."