Richard HARDY

HARDY, Richard Age 80, passed away peacefully Sunday, April 23, 2017 at Sonoma West Medical Center in Sebastopol with his family by his side. He was born in Acushnet, Massachusetts and joined the Air Force as a young man. Upon discharge, he found himself far from home in Sonoma County where he married Sybil Roberts and eventually had two daughters. He and Sybil established and ran Dick & Sybil Hardy Training Stables in Sebastopol for over 50 years, training horses and riders to compete successfully at all levels of competition. One of "Dick's" proudest accomplishments was earning, along with Sybil (posthumously), the Life Time Achievement Award for Excellence in the Equine Industry awarded by the Sonoma County Fair Board. He is survived by his oldest daughter, Melissa Zanetti, wife of Ron Zanetti, and his youngest daughter Jill Hardy and her two daughters Maya and Dylan Stahler. A private graveside service for the immediate family will be held. A celebration of life will be open to friends at a later date, to be determined.