Thomas Arthur Hardy, 82, of Whitewater, formerly of Nekoosa, passed away on December 6, 2021 at his home. He was born on November 17, 1939 son of the late Arthur M. and Lois J. (Huchthausen) Hardy in Nekoosa. He married Betty Joyce (Strooisma) Hardy on May 23, 1970 in Whitewater.
Thomas is survived by his son, Steven M. Hardy and daughter-in-law, Tamara L. (Cook) Hardy and brother, Terrance Hardy who he had a falling out with family in 1997.
Thomas had many accomplishments including two bachelor’s degrees, one in English and the other in Physics with a Math minor. After school, he joined the Air Force instead of waiting to be drafted for Vietnam. He enrolled in officer training before the draft started and spent a lot of time at Camp Douglas. He talked highly of his time spent in the Air Force and enjoyed talking with WWII veterans and flying on the C130s before his unit was transferred to Milwaukee. Following his time served in the Air Force, he worked in social services and had a working relationship with Tommy Thompson and was offered a job to work at the capital as a speech writer but turned it down so he could live in Whitewater so his wife could have a career working for the UW System in the Payroll Department. He became a landlord owning multiple houses and homes. He was also a commodities trader and worked with another fellow in New York on the New York Stock Exchange.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 13, 2021 at Dunlap Memorial Home in Fort Atkinson. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. on Monday at the memorial home until time of service. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery in Whitewater, alongside his wife, Betty Joyce Hardy.
