Richard Edward "Dick" Hardie

Richard Edward “Dick” Hardie passed away on August 3, 2026, at the age of 88. He was born on August 17, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Edward Marquis Hardie and Clara Josephine Walker Hardie.

As a young child, Dick’s family moved to Miami, Florida, where he discovered a remarkable talent for competitive swimming and established himself as one of the South’s finest young swimmers. In 1951, he was a member of the National Freestyle Championship team. In 1952, he became the Florida State Breaststroke Champion and a member of the 200-yard Freestyle National Relay Championship team. In 1953, he won first place in the 800-meter Freestyle Championship at the National Junior Olympics in Albany, Georgia. He swam for the renowned Coral Gables High School swim team and later attended the University of Florida on a swimming scholarship.

Following his time at the University of Florida, Dick served in the United States Army as a Czech and German cryptologic linguist during the Cold War. His military service introduced him to Germany, where he met his wife, Rennie, and developed a lifelong love of traveling. Family vacations often meant driving over the Alps into Italy, discovering quiet villages and small inns along the way. After retiring from the military, he continued his career as a chemist with the State of Texas, working in laboratories in Dallas and Austin until his retirement in 2001.

Dick’s love of classical music began as a child when he first heard Rossini’s William Tell Overture as the theme music from The Lone Ranger radio program. Fascinated by the music, he bought the album and played it repeatedly, to the dismay of his father, a professional jazz musician. That curiosity grew into a lifelong devotion to classical music and opera. One of his greatest pleasures was attending the Bayreuther Festspiele in Bayreuth, Germany, where he experienced the works of Richard Wagner in the historic setting of Wagner’s own festival theater.

Dick had a lifelong passion for sports cars. In 1961, he ordered a red Porsche 356B 1600 Super that he proudly drove with his new bride, Rennie, on their honeymoon tour of Bavaria. Throughout his life, Dick could be found in his garage, listening to opera while working under the hood of a sports car.

In his later years, Dick became a radio-controlled aircraft enthusiast. He joined the Angelo RC Club and spent many happy hours building model airplanes and flying them at the Arden Road field, where he enjoyed both the craftsmanship and the camaraderie of fellow hobbyists.

Dick is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Renate “Rennie” Hardie; his son, Stefan Hardie, and wife, Melissa; his daughter, Karin Book, and husband, Scott; and his grandchildren, Katherine and Alexander Book.

The family will hold a private remembrance.