Dr. Ira May Hardy II

1934 - 2021

Dr. Ira May Hardy, II.
December 30, 1934 - December 15, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina - Dr. Ira May Hardy, II, 86, died on Wednesday, December 15th at the home of his sister in Raleigh, NC where he resided since 2019.
Ira Hardy was the son of Jesse Edwin Hardy and Marjorie Katherine Allen. He was born in Kinston, NC on December 30th, 1934 and raised in Morehead City and Raleigh. He graduated from Broughton High School, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in English and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he ultimately received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. He also served in the U.S. Army.
Upon graduation from UNC Medical School, Ira was called to practice medicine at Pitt County Memorial Hospital (now Vidant Healthcare) in Greenville, NC where he was the first neurosurgeon east of Raleigh. He poured his heart into bettering his community and was instrumental in helping start the East Carolina University School of Medicine.
Ira was a life long avid Carolina fan following the football and basketball teams to numerous championships. Ira traveled extensively, but his favorite place on earth was Bath, NC where he enjoyed working in and tending to his gardens. He spent boundless energy defending Bath's heritage, while also serving on the Town Council. Not only did he work fiercely for the medical community, he and his first wife, Mary Ruth, were devoted supporters of the ECU Symphony and School of Music. Ira served in so many ways, but his favorite service was to the boards of the Ram's Club, North Carolina Opera, and North Carolina Symphony.
Ira was preceded in death by his son, Ira May "Skipper" Hardy, III (1979), his first wife Mary Ruth Mitchell Hardy (2002) and his second wife Mary Ruth Starling Hardy (2019), his sister Mary Trim, and his brothers-in-law Henry Shaw and Tim Hopkins. He is survived by his son Edwin Mitchell "Sandy" Hardy and his grandson Ira May "Jesse" Hardy, IV (Bath, NC), his daughter Anne Robbins "Robin" Hardy (Chapel Hill, NC), his sisters, Anne Hardy Hopkins (Idaho Falls, ID), Martha Hardy George (Greenville, NC), and Edwina Hardy Shaw (Raleigh, NC) and his brother-in-law, Hal Venable Worth III. He is also survived by his three stepchildren, Mary Ruth Cooke Faulkner and spouse, Renny (Charlotte, NC), Caroline Cooke Atkinson and spouse, Hank (Charlotte, NC), and Robert Cameron Cooke and spouse, Marnie (Denver, CO). Numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews also survive him. The family would like to thank his wonderful caregivers over the last two years, most especially Denise Moore and the 7th floor medical team at the Heart and Vascular Hospital at UNC-Rex Healthcare.
After the holidays, a celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 549 N. Blount St., Raleigh, NC. A reception will follow at the Carolina Country Club at 2500 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 549 N. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27604 or ECU Foundation/Four Seasons, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, A.J. Fletcher Music Center 506, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353.
Arrangements are by Wilkerson Funeral Home & Crematory.
Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com