Richard Bladworth Hardie

Richard Bladworth Hardie Jr., Pastor Emeritus at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, died Tuesday, November 29, at Presbyterian Village in Little Rock at the age of 89. "Preacher Dick," as he was called by three generations of parishioners, was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1922 and served in the U.S. Navy as an officer during WWII. After graduating from Austin College in German, Texas, he attended Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, where he obtained his theology degree and met his first wife, Mary Katherine "Kackie" Johnson. They moved to Little Rock in 1949. Hardie was the first minister of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church and served as pastor for 36 years, during which time it became Little Rock's second largest Presbyterian congregation. As a prominent civil rights leader in the 1960s, one of Dr. Hardie's proudest moments came in 1957 when his congregation's deacons bought the back page of the Arkansas Gazette to call for orderly compliance in integrating Little Rock schools and to oppose closing of the schools by then-Governor Faubus. Life magazine ran a picture of his entreaty to support desegregation of the schools. A devoted scholar, Dr. Hardie received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Arkansas College at Batesville in 1962. In 1964, Hardie marched for civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Montgomery, Alabama. That same year, the BBC produced a television program on Dr. Hardie for a series that profiled the lives of individual Americans, his stance on civil rights figuring prominently. In 1978, Dr. and Mrs. Hardie were awarded the Arkansas chapter's National Conference of Christians and Jews Brotherhood Award. In 1984, after the death of his first wife, Dr. Hardie married Carolyn Cole McEwen. In 1985, Preacher Dick retired from Westover Hills and completed his term as elected moderator of his denomination's Presbytery of Arkansas. The following six years, Mr. Hardie served as director of church relations for Austin College. In 1991, the Hardies fulfilled a lifelong dream of his and traveled to Scotland where he served as a volunteer Associate Minister of St. Mary's Parish Church in Dumfries, Scotland. On their return home Dr. Hardie served as an Interim paster at First Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, Park Hill Presbyterian Church, North Little Rock, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Little Rock and various other Presbyterian Churches throughout the state. In 2004, the Little Rock Board of Directors approved a resolution to rename a portion of Kavanaugh Blvd. in honor of Richard B. Hardie. In their letter to the city, church members noted, "As a leader in building community relations, he sought to create an environment in which people of faith, who were white or African-American, Christian or Jew, could live in peace and harmony. His goal at all times has been to bring people together in mutual respect and understanding, but he has never lost sight of what is fair and just." Dr. Hardie is survived by his wife of 27 years, Carolyn; his children, Richard B. Hardie III and Celeste White; Kathleen Hardie and Joseph Stenger, their children Bret and Patrick and his wife Becky and daughter Arabel; Elizabeth and Ted James, their children Will and Katherine. He is also survived by Ellen McEwen, her children Josh Minter, Jesse Minter and wife Rachelle; Debbie Cooper; Melissa and Tim Stillings and children Haley and Gregory; Matthew and Mandy McEwen, their children Peyton and Sydney; his sister, Mary Frances Martin and her husband Bill; his sister-in-law, Annette Watson and her husband Terry; his brother-in-law, Jerry Cole and his wife Beverly; his sisters-in-law, Arline Taylor and Margery Johnson as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. The family expresses tremendous gratitude for the exceptional and compassionate care he received from the staff at Pleasant Valley Living Center and Presbyterian Village. We will be forever grateful for the loving care, dedication, support and guidance given by Odyssey Hospice during the end of his life's journey. A memorial service will be held at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church at 1:00 PM on Sunday, December 11th preceded by a light lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The family asks that memorials be made to Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, 6400 Richard B. Hardie Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72207; Alzheimer's Arkansas, 201 Markham Center Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72205, Odyssey Hospice, 10800 Financial Centre Parkway, Suite 380, Little Rock, Ark. 72211. Arrangements under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.