John Harney, who founded a small tea company some thirty years ago in Salisbury, CT, which is now a prestigious and revered international brand with its headquarters in Millerton, NY, passed away suddenly at age 83 on June 16th. Harney, whom many considered the unofficial mayor of northwestern Connecticut, was the proprietor of the storied White Hart Inn during its heyday. He and his wife, Elyse, a powerhouse in Litchfield County real estate, presided over a good-looking, good-hearted family that was committed to upholding small town values and traditions while simultaneously stoking the local economy. Considered a visionary in the tea and artisanal food worlds, John Harney was both a global figure and small-town hero. —Dan Shaw
