On March 16, 2021, Ron Hardee (80) passed away at home alongside his family. This is the first time Ron and Tina have been apart since elementary school, when they were crowned king and queen of the fourth-grade sweetheart dance. Tina never left his side through the ups and downs of the next seven decades. They recently celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary.
Ron is survived by Tina, his children Jim (Stephanie), Mark (Tara), Missy (Jim), Mike, his niece Robin Russell (Darrell), as well as his beloved grandchildren Zach (22), David (22), Lily (16), Evie (14), Burton (13), Sloan (10) and Luke (9).
To know Ron was to know he fiercely prioritized four things: God, family, country and Auburn.
Ron’s proudest achievement was his family, in particular his grandchildren all of whom he loved dearly -- including the very special bond he had with David. The two of them spoke every single day for the past 10 years, even if it was just for a minute to say goodnight.
The four Hardee children learned from Ron many things that would serve them well later in life: teams over the individual, but never let your team down; the attainment of success in life is about hard work and perseverance; and long-term loyalty (to a company or another human) pays bigger dividends than a shinier object. They also learned from Ron the epic art of enjoying the beach.
The beach was a source of happiness and joy for Ron. Not only did he unfailingly win the “who is tanner?” contest, it was a place where he delighted in showing his love of America. Packing for a beach trip for Ron was an exercise not only in how many beach chairs he could fit in the car for the family chat circles he meticulously arranged at sunrise…it also meant how many American flags he could fit in the car to encircle that spot – marking his territory as if to say to passersby and the world, “I’m at the edge of my beautiful country with my beautiful family, and I will be here all day celebrating the two things that make me the happiest and proudest to be alive.”
No beach trip would be complete without the Auburn cooler. Trip-after-trip, the children were delighted to open the top to hear “War Eagle” play from a speaker built inside the lid and to grab one of his ice cubes or cold mini Snickers bars, of which he always seemed to stash extra.
To say Auburn was a source of pride for Ron is an understatement. At one point, Tina pointed out to Ron that there was nothing in his closet that was not orange and/or blue (including the ties). After attending the school himself where he studied chemical engineering, all four of his children (and Stephanie) graduated from Auburn. Ron, who came from very humble beginnings, was successful in his 40+ year career with Ciba-Geigy and was proud to have been able to send each of his children to college (and one to law school) along with a new car gifted to them on or around their 16th birthdays.
Ron’s main focus in life was always to honor God and the blessings He provided. When faced with the news of his fate, his earliest reaction was peace in knowing where he was going.
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Shortly after his 80th birthday, Ron was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He passed away four months later at home.
A celebration of his life will be held Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, Ga.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Camp Big Heart, the special needs summer camp where his grandson David spends part of his summers or Next Step Ministries, a local job skills program of which David is a part.
Ron would have also appreciated a simple note or care package sent to one of our troops deployed overseas and in harm’s way.
Finally, while it was much more common to hear “War Eagle” from Ron’s tailgating spot, the Auburn Creed is really what Ron was about. He lived this in his own way and encouraged all those around him to do the same.
The Auburn Creed
I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.
I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.
I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.
I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.
I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.
I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."
And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.
-George Petrie (1943)
Camp Big Heart
Post Office Box 1519
Albany, GA 31702
http://campbigheart.org/donate-online/
Next Step Ministries
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