Beverly B. Hardy

Beverly Lorraine Baldridge Hardy was born in April 1926 on an Easter Sunday in Hollywood, Calif., and died peacefully Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at her home in Morro Bay. Bev was a fourth generation Californian, daughter of Ivy Adele Mills Baldridge and Claude Calvin Baldridge. When Bev was a child her father helped Walt and Roy Disney start their business. At age nine, the family moved from Hollywood to Glendale, where Bev attended elementary school, E.J. Toll Junior High School and Hoover High School. She went to college in Stockton, Calif., and got her teaching credential from Cal State Northridge. She taught first grade at Soto St. School in East LA. Bev met the love of her life, Horace F. Hardy III, "Ace," during the War, but they were not able to marry until June of 1969. Bev had four children, John, Boyd, Ann and Barbara, from her first marriage. Boyd died tragically by drowning in a neighbor''s unfenced pool at 18 months, so Bev worked to change California and national legislation surrounding liability and fencing laws in the U.S. Supreme Court, King vs. Lennon. Bev was active in Girl Scouts, both as a scout, having earned the Golden Eaglet award, and as a leader. As a 25-year resident of Northridge, Bev was an active member of the Northridge Civic Association and the West Valley Property Owners Association, where she was involved in many fights with city hall, including uncovering a story of graft and tainted food in the Los Angeles City School system. In 1972, the family moved from Northridge to West Chicago, Ill. Ace and Bev became involved with preserving and recognizing the historical significance of the family farmhouse, the first brick house in DuPage County, that was built in 1838 and part of the underground railroad. Bev moved back to California in 1980 and settled in Morro Bay. She was a docent at the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History for almost 25 years, and was a member of AAUW, Morro Bay Beautiful, Morro Bay Historical Society, Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship and the Morro Bay Presbyterian Church. She was part of the Cal Poly Legacy Club, and focused her donations on the new Cal Poly Pier Center for Coastal Marine Sciences. She was known as the "miracle lady" at Stanford Medical University, because she fought and survived cancer for over 20 years. Bev is survived by her sister, Adele Baldridge Seltzer; children John Lawrence King Jr. (Barbara), Leslie Aldis Hardy, Ann Hardy Feehan (Marty) and Barbara Hardy Corella (Armando); grandchildren Rhiannon Feehan Schmidt (Jason), Calvin Feehan (Kelli), Leandra Corella and Alyssa Corella; and four great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind countless friends. Beverly joined her husband, Ace; son, Boyd; and parents in life everlasting. Beverly''s "Home Going" service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship, 1475 Quintana Road in Morro Bay, co-officiated by Pastor Randy Ponder of Rock Harbor and Pastor Dale Paulsen of Morro Bay Presbyterian. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Beverly''s name to the charity of your choice.