Ernest Ralph Hardy

Ralph Hardy, 78, died Friday afternoon, March 31, 2006 at a local hospital. The family will receive friends on Sunday afternoon from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. Ernest Ralph Hardy was born on June 26, 1927 on a farm in Jones County just outside of Abilene to Ernest Hugh and Trixie Akens Hardy. He attended school in Merkel for the first four grades. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1944 and attended Hardin-Simmons University for one year before joining the U.S. Navy. He served in the South Pacific aboard the USS Bull and was honorably discharged in 1946. He returned to HSU and graduated in 1949 with degrees in Business and Physical Education. He coached football, basketball, and track at Stamford High School for two years, then joined Stanolind Oil and Gas Company as a scout. When that company down-scaled its Abilene offices, Ralph chose to remain in Abilene rather than transfer. He became an agent with Great Southern Life Insurance Company, then district sales representative for San Antonio Portland Cement Company. From 1969 to 1989, he was the dealer-owner of Toyota of Abilene. He was a member of the Gulf States Toyota Dealers Council and was honored with prestigious awards from the International Automobile Dealers Association, Gulf States Toyota, and Toyota Motor Sales, USA including the President's Award. He served on the boards of the Better Business Bureau, Abilene Planning and Zoning, Bank of Commerce, Abilene Community Theatre (president), and the Abilene New Car Dealers Association (president). He was a member of First Baptist Church and the Abilene Country Club. He loved his family, football, and golf. Ralph married Virginia Dunagan in Midland, Texas on September 22, 1951 and they have four children. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Virginia of Abilene, and two daughters, Janet Hardy of Abilene, and Marilyn Reed and her husband, Steve of Dallas; two sons, Robert and wife Shern Min of Houston, and David and wife Nancy of Las Vegas, Nevada; five grandchildren: Nicholas, Samuel, and Natalie Reed of Dallas, and Max and Hunter Hardy of Houston. He is also survived by sister-in-law Kathlyn Dunagan of Monahans and brother-in law and sister-in-law A.A. and Lorena Jones of Midland, numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Memorials may be made to the donor's favorite charity.