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David from Rockland, died unexpectedly after suffering a seizure. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Rockland EMS, Penobscot Bay Healthcare ER and Special Care Unit for their expert care and compassion during those hours.
He was born in Rockland, to the late Francis Arnold Hardy and the late Doris Cecelia Hardy and grew up in Thomaston with his older sister and two older brothers. As a teenager, he worked on a local dairy farm, spent time as a short-order cook and was known to his friends as "Squash." In 1962, he joined the U.S. Navy, married and started a family.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1973. During most of those years, he was a radioman aboard the destroyer USS Forrest B. Royal (DD872) out of Mayport, Fla., where he advanced to the rank of radioman first class (E-6) in 1968. He was with the Royal for two major cruises to Vietnam and a third to the Middle East.
In Vietnam his ship participated in "Operation Sea Dragon" and numerous other actions, twice served as the flagship for COMDESRON 16 and served as the pilot rescue ship for aircraft carriers such as USS Bon Homme Richard and USS Constellation. In 1967, the Royal rescued a U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk pilot who could not make it back to the Constellation and had to ditch more than five miles away. The Royal and her crew had the pilot safely aboard just 13 minutes after he ejected over the South China Sea.
In the Middle East, he and his shipmates had a very different mission from that in Vietnam. From November 1969 to May 1970, the Forrest B. Royal logged more than 40,000 miles as ambassadors of goodwill across dozens of ports-of-call throughout the nations of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf and received many positive reports from host country and American embassy and military officials regarding those visits.
In 1970, he completed U.S. Navy instructor training and finished out his third enlistment training the next generation of radiomen in the use and repair of cryptographic and teletype equipment. During his 11 years of service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medals, Vietnam Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation and Combat Action Ribbon, among other personal commendations. After his honorable discharge in 1973, he returned home to Maine with his family, joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he achieved the rank of chief petty officer and built a home in Warren. He was also a member of the Charles C. Lilly American Legion Post and a master Mason of King Solomon's Masonic Lodge, both in Waldoboro.
In Maine, he worked for the Maine State Prison and local companies such as Marine Hydraulics, B.M. Clark and Moon's Camper Sales, before leaving the work force on disability in 2002. Some of his greatest enjoyment in life was found in family, time spent sailing with his brother, Frank, his cats and in listening to country music.
He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Richard Hall of Poland; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Frank and MaryJane Hardy of Hernando, Fla. and Paul and RoseAnn Hardy of East Lyme, Conn.; his first wife, Brenda Allenwood Miller of Camden; their children and children's spouses, Michael and Kathleen Hardy of Union, Cheryl and Thomas LaFlamme of Lewiston and Cynthia and Robert Cloutier of Rockland; his second wife, Dinah Hardy of Warren and her family; his third wife, Malissa Hardy and his stepdaughter, Celena Hardy, both of Sangerville; his nieces, Deborah Hall of Arundel, Patty Benner of Warren, Marsha Hardy of Portsmouth, N.H., Tess Hall of Barrington, N.H., Carol DaPonte of Millersville, Md., Andrea Campo of Baltimore, Md. and Marleen Cassarino of Hernando, Fla.; his nephews, Scott Hall of Thomaston, John Hardy of East Lyme, Conn. and Jim Dever of Key West, Fla.; his grandchildren, Amanda Cloutier of Thomaston, Jessica Weaver of Altamonte Springs, Fla., Joseph Cloutier of Rockland, Stephanie Weaver of Lewiston and Samantha Cloutier of Rockland; his step-grandson, Troy Weaver of Warren; and his great-granddaughter, Arianna Cloutier of Thomaston.
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