She was born on July 19, 1937, in DeWitt, Arkansas, to William Lawrence Schaefer and Gladys Simmons Schaefer, who were loving parents. From the age of 8, she was nurtured, loved, and educated by parents William Ewing Hall and Myrtle Pack Hall. After graduating from DeWitt High School in 1954, Willene attended Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus, Mississippi, graduating with a BA in 1958. She earned her MA degree in 1959 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and her PhD in 1966 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Willene was a professor of English at Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University)
in Georgia, the University of South Alabama, the University of Colorado, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (now University of Illinois-Chicago). In 1981, she published Mary McCarthy, a book about the works of this important American novelist. In 1969, she married Dr. John Edward Hardy, a professor, poet, scholar, and literary critic; they enjoyed 41 happy years together until his death in 2010. In January 2018, Willene moved from Baton Rouge to be near her stepdaughters and their families in Kansas City, Missouri.
Willene was a professor, writer, and lifelong student and scholar of contemporary literature. She was passionate about social justice, animals, nature, poetry, music, and art. She was an astute observer of human nature, an open and loving person who treasured and constantly nurtured her relationships with family and friends. She had an indomitable spirit, a wry sense of humor, a deep appreciation for the subtleties and strength of language and conversation, and an unforgettably unique way of expressing herself. We’ll always remember her generous and kind nature, her inquisitive mind, her amazing determination, her way of always placing second her own needs in favor of showing empathy for others, her clear-sighted vision as to the difference between right and wrong, her vast knowledge
and her quiet wisdom.
She is mourned by many friends and a large and loving family, including six stepdaughters and their husbands: Margot Ferguson of Kansas City, Leonore and David Dvorkin of Denver, Cathy and Didier Pouligny of La Ferte Mace, France, Laura and Keith Christensen of Kansas City, Anne and George Biswell of Kansas City, and Eve Shaw of Kansas City, as well as 14 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; nephew and wife Don Hardy and Marilyn Jones Hardy of Denver; niece Marcie Hardy of Baton Rouge; and two cousins, Dianne Daugherty Carter and Cathey Daugherty Stephens of Stuttgart, Arkansas. Willene is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. John Edward Hardy.
A memorial gathering will be held in Kansas City on Saturday, November 3, 2018 starting 11 am at White Chapel Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ASPCA, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, or Doctors without Borders, just a few of many charitable causes she strongly supported. Willene’s final resting place will be alongside her husband in Greenoaks Memorial Park
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
DONATIONS
ASPCA
Southern Poverty Law Center
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