Dr. C. Hardy Oliver, Jr., MD, MBA

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. C. Hardy Oliver Jr., MD, MBA. Hardy passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family, after a 25-year battle with the aftermath of a stroke and progressive dementia. He leaves behind a loving family, a legacy of professional excellence, and a life lived with humor, adventure, and integrity.

Born in Florence, South Carolina, Hardy was raised in Columbia. His childhood stories were full of Mark Twain-style adventures – canoeing down rivers with cottonmouths falling into his boat, picking off local varmits for squirrel stew, and fending off bears in the Great Smokies. After a year at Dreher High School in Columbia, he attended Woodberry Forest Preparatory School, where he was on the varsity wrestling and football teams. Hardy was a driven, ambitious student, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Set on a medical degree, he went on to receive his B.A., Cum Laude, from Yale University. Then this southern boy braved New York to pursue his MD from Cornell University Medical College, his internship and residency in New York Hospital, and his orthopaedic specialty from New York Orthopaedic Hospital at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital.

It was there, in the cafeteria of New York Hospital, that Hardy ran into a familiar face from his previous two summers running the launch at the Nantucket Yacht Club. Ann Beinecke soon became Ann Beinecke Oliver, RN, and together they celebrated nearly 56 years of marriage.

He dedicated his first career of 20 years to orthopaedic surgery, specializing in the challenging reconstruction of hands. After a specialist residency in Michigan, Hardy and Ann relocated to Everett, Washington, where he served for 13 years as a respected member of Everett Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic. Hardy was known among his clinic colleagues for his meticulous surgical technique and leadership. It was there in Everett, where Hardy and Ann welcomed their three children - Katherine, Margaret, and Thomas - into the world, and where he raised them in a life of outdoor adventures.

In midlife, Hardy reoriented his career towards business and investing. Returning east to Nantucket Island, he served as Vice President of Operations at Sherburne Associates, a resort management company. He then returned to school, earning his MBA at Boston University. For the rest of his career, he was a dedicated independent investor who enjoyed researching market opportunities and riding through the market upheavals of the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Hardy will be remembered as a loving spouse and father, an adventurous soul, and a lifelong outdoorsman. His approach to life balanced bravery with discretion, embracing risks both outdoors and in the financial markets. Hardy was dealt a cruel blow too early in life, but his remarkable grit, generous heart, and keen sense of fairness formed an indelible and memorable character. He will be dearly missed.

Hardy is survived by his beloved wife, Ann Oliver; his children, Katherine (partner, Craig), Margaret (partner, Rennie), and Tom (partner, Kirsten); five grandchildren; and a network of friends and colleagues who knew him as a man of deep conviction and warmth. He will be cremated and interred in Elmwood Cemetery, Columbia, SC in early January 2025.