Douglas Herbert Hardy

1938 - 2021

Douglas Herbert Hardy, age 83, of Evanston, IL, died on Monday, May 3, 2021. Douglas was born in Evanston on April 21, 1938, and remained a lifelong resident of Evanston. He joined the Army in 1958 and served under the First Infantry Division, also known as the Big Red One. He was honorably discharged. After the Army, Douglas spent 40 years working for the City of Evanston in the Parks, Recreation and Forestry department, caring for the trees in his beloved Evanston. Douglas was a certified arborist and belonged to the Illinois Arborist Association, where he frequently attended conferences. A tree was planted at Ladd Arboretum in Douglas's honor by the City of Evanston. Douglas was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Diane L., nee Warak, and his parents, Herbert and Elizabeth, nee Schmidt. He is survived by his sister, Beverly (the late Adam) Prangart; his father-in-law, William J. Warak, Sr.; his wife's siblings, Debora (Jim) Gast, Donna (John) Kwiatkowski, and William J. (Susan) Warak, Jr.; cherished nieces and nephews, Keriann (Derek) Shomon, Kelly Warak, William J. Warak, III., James Nicholas Gast, and Katherine (Jon) Crook; and a great-nephew, William Garrett Crook. Douglas will be remembered for his kind and generous heart. Visitation and Funeral Service were Monday, May 10, 2021, at HABEN Funeral Home & Crematory, Skokie. Private Interment followed in Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123 or the Illinois Arborist Association (www.illinoisarborist.org), P.O. Box 860, Antioch, IL, 60002. Info: 847.673.6111 or www.habenfuneral.com to sign guestbook and to leave a condolence message.