LEXINGTON — Gay Garred Hardymon, wife of James F. Hardymon, died Sunday, July 15, after a short illness.
Born in Ashland, she was the daughter of prominent Morehead physician Isadore M. Garred, MD and Martha Curtis. A proud Kentuckian, she grew up in Morehead and attended Breckinridge High School. She spent her junior and senior years of high school in Troy, N.Y., where she graduated from Emma Willard School.
Gay returned to Kentucky after high school, graduating from the University of Kentucky where she majored in English and was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She was a lifelong supporter of the University and frequently attended athletic events and alumni gatherings. In recognition of her support for the University, her name can be seen in student learning areas in the W.T. Young Library and the College of Engineering as well as in the patient care unit of the Markey Cancer Center.
While attending UK, she married fellow UK graduate James F. Hardymon and began a fifty-eight year journey that included stops in Fort Smith Ark., Portland Ore., St. Louis, Mo., Chicago, Ill., Providence, R.I. and Naples Fla. Her family’s longest stop was the eleven years spent in Maysville. During those years, while raising her two young children, she was actively involved in the Maysville community serving as President of the PTA and the Younger Women’s Club, and organizing activities at the Maysville Country Club.
Upon her family’s move to St. Louis she remained active in the community, serving as a member of the Junior League of St. Louis. The family moved to the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest during her children’s high school years where she was a member of several community groups and helped coordinate the community’s Fourth of July celebration.
Eventually, she and her husband came home to Kentucky, spending time in Lexington where she was a member of Idle Hour Country Club as well as Naples, Fla., where she was a member of Royal Poinciana Golf Club, Bay Colony Country Club and the Methodist church.
She had many hobbies including reading, antique collecting, traveling and supporting University of Kentucky athletic teams. However, her primary passion was always her family and she took great pride in her children and grandchildren. While living in Lexington she frequently traveled to Columbia Mo., Williamsburg Va. and Atlanta, Ga. to join her children, their spouses and her grandchildren during times of celebration or times when she could lend a helping hand.
Besides her husband of 58 years, she is survived by a daughter, Jennifer (Frank) Sovich, Columbia, Mo.; a son, James “Frank” Franklin (Lisa) Hardymon, Atlanta; four grandchildren, Caroline Sovich (Josh) Branham, Lexington, Christopher Sovich, Columbia, Emma Hardymon and Grace Hardymon of Atlanta.
Services will be at 10 am Saturday at Milward-Trent Blvd with a visitation there on Friday from 4-7 pm.
Burial Lexington Cemetery. Casket bearers will be Frank Sovich, Christopher Sovich, Josh Branham, Dr. Charles Wethington, John Archdeacon, Marvin Kolodzik, Mike Whitley and Mark Turner.
Memorials to Bluegrass Care Givers (Hospice),2312 Alexandria Dr., 40504, Alzheimer’s Association, 1065 Dove Run Road, 40502 or Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, 1030 S. Broadway, 40504, all of Lexington.
