James Willard Hardie, 86 years old, passed away on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 in Conford, North Carolina. Jim was born on June 21, 1925 in Galveston, Texas. A burial service with military honors will be held at the Tahoma National Cemetery near Kent, WA, on December 19th at 12:30 P.M. Pastor and friend Jim Wilson from Moscow, ID., will be speaking.
Jim was the only son of John Hall Hardie and Nola Barbara (Baker) Hardie. He had two sisters, Joy Kathryn (Hardie) Brown and Anita Margarete (Hardie) May both deceased. Jim (or Jamie to his friends) grew up in Galveston, Texas until joining the Marines at the age of 17 in January of 1943. Jim often expressed that Marine Boot Camp was one of the most memorable and beneficial experiences of his life. Jim saw combat in the South Pacific with the third Marine Division which included The Marshall Islands, The Mariana Islands, and Guam. Jim served as a radio operator for navel gunfire teams and participated in a number of beach landings. Jim received an honorable discharge from the Marines in April of 1945.
Jim left Texas to attend college at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA where Jim eventually became President of the student body. Jim begun working with the Navigators (Christian organization) soon after college and was assigned as direction of the follow-up team at several Billy Graham Crusades
Upon leaving the Navigators, Jim taught school in Plainview and Galveston, TX, before marrying Marlys Jean (Nielsen) Hardie, a former classmate at Whitworth College. They move to Galveston, TX where Jim was a Supervisor of Instructional resources and Television f0r the Galveston Public Schools. Their Son Greg was born in 1962.
The Hardies’ moved to Olympia, WA in August of 1962 where Jim served as State Supervisor of Audiovisual and Television Services at the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In 1968 the Hardies moved to Pullman, WA where Jim was Coordinator of Instructional Television Services at Washington State University. They lived in Pullman for 18 years before Jim returned from WSU. Throughout their time in Pullman, the Hardies’ were involved with numerous ministries which included Young Life Leadership training and working with International Students Inc. Jim and Marlys lived in Lacey, WA for several years before following their son to Paso Robles, CA before Marlys’ death from Cancer.
Jim moved numerous times over the next 10 years (back to Pullman, WA, then to Oklahoma, then to San Jose, CA, then to Houston, TX, then back to Pullman, a brief stint in Spokane, WA and then to Concord, North Carolina.
Jim is Author of the book, The Magnificent Adventure and Biographical contributor to the book To Know this Mystery, which is a work about the life of his long time friend Dr. Lewis Bock.
Jim is survived by his son Greg and wife Hope and his three grandchildren, Brett Ashley (Hardie) Wing, Garrison James Hardie, Dawson Macrae Hardie and Great granddaughter, Hazel Elizabeth Wing.