August 08, 1927 - February 15, 2017

Long time Mercer Island, and then Redmond resident, Kathleen (Kay) Hardin passed away in her sleep on the 15th of February 2017, in Kirkland, WA.  She was born August 8, 1927 in Victoria, British Columbia, and was the eldest child of Martin and Edna Hansen.  She was raised in West Seattle by a loving couple, Frank and Etta (Auntie) Johnson.  She attended Jefferson Elementary, James Madison Junior High and West Seattle High Schools.  She graduated from the University of Washington, College of Pharmacy, with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1948.  A working Pharmacist for almost 50 years, her professional life began at Colden and Lewis, a prescription pharmacy on Westlake in Seattle.  Next she was employed at The Doctors Hospital, also in Seattle.  Then, before starting her family of two sons, she worked at Ellingsons’s Pharmacy to gain general store experience. 

While working at Doctors Hospital, she met David O. Hardin through two of his cousins who worked there with her.  She and David were married on Washington’s Birthday February 22, 1957.  She, along with David, supported their two boys in school activities, Scouting, Little League, soccer, swimming, water polo, and the Special Olympics, etc.  During this time Kay served on the board of Helping Hands for the Disabled, including a period as secretary and grant writer, and she successfully lobbied the Washington State Legislature for the evolution of and updating of Washington State Disability laws.  

A Pacific Northwest native, she thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors from landscaping and vegetable gardening, to camping, hiking, fishing, water and snow skiing, boating, senior coed softball and later in life, golf.  The outdoors was part of the Hardin family life style that for many years included a small motor boat for water skiing and fishing.

In May of 1993, she and David moved into a cottage at Emerald Heights.  Over time she served on the food services, fitness and health and wellness committees, and sang in the choir.  She supported Horace Mann Elementary School by managing the General Mills coupon and Campbell Soup Label collection drives.  She also volunteered in the reading lab, and the first grade classroom, and managed the fourth grade senior pen pal program.  As an avid University of Washington football fan, she along with an equally avid cougar fan, started the Apple Cup viewing program at Emerald Heights, which she managed for many years.  

She always enjoyed traveling, both within the U.S. and internationally.  She had a number of interesting travel experiences while growing up and after college, especially as a single female in the 1940’s and 50’s traveling across the continental U.S. and to Hawaii, etc.  While at Emerald Heights, she had the opportunity to take a variety of memorable cruises with travel friends to exotic locations including a Mediterranean cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona, a cruise from Florida through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast to San Diego, and an Alaska cruise with a large glass train car ride into Denali National Park.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, David O. Hardin, and a brother Arnold G. Hansen, of Vamdrup, Denmark.  She is survived by sons Craig O. Hardin, San Diego, CA, and Neil D. Hardin, Bellevue, WA, as well as by her Brother and Sister-in-law Charles and Margie Hansen, and sister Dianne Mackey.  Grandchildren Kirstin D. Porter (Hardin) and her husband Drew Porter, and Alec T. Hardin.  Nieces Debbie Radcliff, Paige Donnelly, Tina LeBreton and nephews Martin Hansen and Don Mackey.  She has four grand nieces and two grand nephews. 

FUNERAL INFORMATION

Memorial Service & Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday the 1st of July at 3pm, at:

Emerald Heights
10901 176th Circle NE
Redmond, WA 98052

See the map below.

DONATIONS

Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers can be sent to:

Helping Hands for the Disabled
PO Box 6335
Bellevue, WA 98008
425-644-4344