Raiford Allen Hardy, 74, of Omega passed away Saturday, December 12, 2015, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 15, 2015, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with Rev. Danny Smith and Army Chaplain Jerry Miller officiating. Mr. Hardy will be laid to rest at Omega Cemetery with full military honors. The family will receive friends Monday, December 14, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Hardy's grandsons, Trey Holton, Will Hove, Tyler Holton and his nephews, Chris Hardy, Duane Hardy, Ken Hardy and David Hardy will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Mr. Hardy's remaining nephews.
Born May 5, 1941 in Omega, Mr. Hardy was the son of the late Charlie Amos Hardy and Jessie Tedder Hardy. He was retired from the United States Army after 20 years of service in the Armor Branch. He received the Vietnam Veteran Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Service Star and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal in Korea. He was a member of Omega Baptist Church.
Mr. Hardy is survived by his wife, Betty Ann Gann Hardy of Omega; one son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Heather Hardy of Omega; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Sherry and Andy Hove of Solon, Ohio, Susie and Chip Holton of Mooresville, North Carolina and Jennifer Malcom of Omega; six grandchildren, Amber Bryant and husband Chevy, Trey Holton, Tyler Holton, Drew Hove, William Hove and Madison Malcom; two great-grandchildren, Georgia Belle Bryant and Beau William Bryant; his siblings and their spouses, Maxine and Johnny Hammond of Land O Lakes, Florida, Charles Neal and Ruth Hardy of Ozark, Alabama, Tommie Ann Leamon of Crossville, Tennessee, Carl Hardy of Biloxi, Mississippi, C. A. and Kay Hardy of Griffin, Billy and May Kimbrough of Tifton, Glen and Christine Hardy of Tifton, Shelvia Jean and Taylor Edward of Panama City Beach, Florida and Richard and Gloria Jean Hardy of Omega; and his many beloved nieces and nephews.