Obituary of Jimmy Harold Hard

Jimmy (Jim) Harold Hard Born June 16, 1933 to William and Adeline (Bovey) Hard of Oklahoma City passed away August 28, 2020. To say the least, Grandpa Jim’s life cannot be easily summed up in an obituary. Jim’s paternal family, who was transient due to financial necessity, resided largely in Texas and Oklahoma, in addition to Muscogee and Chickasaw territories. Jim Hard’s young life included moving frequently, surviving poverty, and idolizing his famous cousin, rodeo star Ted Yocum. In connection with the times, the family was greatly affected by the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma. As similarly depicted in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, the Hard family moved West in search of work. Upon arriving in California, Grandpa recalled jumping out of the back of a dump truck with his three siblings (William, Robert, and Charlotte), hungry, barefoot, but somehow hopeful by the orchards and fast growing fruit. Jim and his siblings spent much of their adolescence concealing their “Okie” roots, as ridicule and fights were common. Shortly before being deployed to Korea, Jim married Joann Myrin. Joann would give birth and raise their firstborn daughter Sharon independently until Jim’s return from the war. Much like a tumbleweed, Jim and Joann moved frequently throughout Northern California, while also raising four children, Sharon (Dale)Tahja (Shelton, WA), Karen (Tim) Martinez (White City, OR) , Jim Hard (Marysville, WA), and Cindy (Dave) Richards (Trinidad, CA). During his youth and young adulthood, Grandpa loved training horses, riding motorcycles, camping, fishing, and water skiing. He also had an affinity for conversation, farm life, and beer, often admitting to riding his horse to the bar. Jim’s first marriage ended in divorce. However, Grandpa would later marry Yvonne Johnstone in 1976. They met while square dancing. (It is said that Grandpa literally swept Yvonne off her feet.) Of special importance, Yvonne’s only child Daniella (Nella) Sciaroni became a part of our family following their union. They lived together in Napa, California for nearly two decades. Grandpa retired from Mare Island Naval Base, where he was a flame cutter. As he was retiring, Jim became one of the first people in the nation to receive a Cochlear hearing implant. In 1993, Jim and Yvonne traded the California sun for some Shelton, Washington rain. In his retirement, Grandpa loved cribbage, card games, western novels, family visits and anything dessert related. During the start of his golden years, he refurbished a boat with his son and traveled frequently—once taking a trip to Egypt with his mother.