| Mary Adelaide Roberts Hardesty |
MARY ADELAIDE ROBERTS HARDESTY
Mary Adelaide Roberts Hardesty, 80, passed away
at home in her sleep on November 12, 2011. Mary
had a long, eventful life, living and traveling all over
the world. While living in Hawaii as a young woman,
she attended Punahou School and took Hula lessons
from the famous Hilo Hattie.
Mary lived most of her years in Washington, DC, where she attended
Alice Deal Junior High and Woodrow Wilson High School. Mary loved
the energy of Washington: the city, its newspaper, public policy and political
causes, especially those that championed the needy and the underserved.
Mary was a beautiful writer with a fondness for language. In her early 20's,
she wrote copy for a TV station in Georgia and for the National Geographic.
After raising a family, she went back to school and to writing,
completing her master's thesis on political folklore in her 40's. She wrote
press releases as the press secretary for Attorney General Mark White, later
Governor of Texas. "Mary was a devoted friend," Governor White said on
learning of her death."
For almost 40 years my family and I have been the beneficiaries of her
indomitable spirit. When I ran for office, Mary offered her talents to the
effort. She was without question the most committed volunteer in the
campaign. Fantastic is the term for her inspired efforts. She worked harder
than anyone, including the candidate." Mary loved poetry and the beauty of
the apposite word. She kept close her memory of having been taught by
Robert Frost at Middlebury College. Even in her 70's, Mary could complete
a New York Times crossword puzzle in less than an hour. She had a
fondness for dogs and after she could no longer care for a dog herself,
always carried a dog cookie in her pocket in case she ran across someone
walking their dog.
Mary was a talented hostess, catering her own parties in Washington,
DC while her husband Bob worked in the White House during the 1960's.
After the family moved to Austin, Texas, she continued to host old
Washington friends and new Texas friends at their home overlooking Lake
Austin. During the 1980's, she continued to enjoy entertaining as the first
lady of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
Mary returned to Washington more than twenty years ago and lived in
Kalorama Square before retiring to an assisted living facility in Frederick,
Maryland.
Mary is survived by her husband Bob, her children Beth, Bruce, John
and Ann, her sons in law, Roger Hurst and Steve Chiles, her grandsons,
Joshua Garza, Eric Hurst and Alden Hurst, her nieces and nephews, Mary
Bruce Honkonen, Nancy Griffith Baker, Betsy Baker Forester, Brooks
Baker Johnson, Carol Brainerd Meredith, Diane Brainerd Russelavage,
Chuck Brainerd, George Wright, Marianne Hardesty, Rob Hardesty, and
many friends, who have kindly offered their memories to her family as a
celebration of her life. No formal service will be held.
Published in The Washington Post on November 17, 2011
Mary Adelaide Roberts Hardesty, 80, passed away
at home in her sleep on November 12, 2011. Mary
had a long, eventful life, living and traveling all over
the world. While living in Hawaii as a young woman,
she attended Punahou School and took Hula lessons
from the famous Hilo Hattie.
Mary lived most of her years in Washington, DC, where she attended
Alice Deal Junior High and Woodrow Wilson High School. Mary loved
the energy of Washington: the city, its newspaper, public policy and political
causes, especially those that championed the needy and the underserved.
Mary was a beautiful writer with a fondness for language. In her early 20's,
she wrote copy for a TV station in Georgia and for the National Geographic.
After raising a family, she went back to school and to writing,
completing her master's thesis on political folklore in her 40's. She wrote
press releases as the press secretary for Attorney General Mark White, later
Governor of Texas. "Mary was a devoted friend," Governor White said on
learning of her death."
For almost 40 years my family and I have been the beneficiaries of her
indomitable spirit. When I ran for office, Mary offered her talents to the
effort. She was without question the most committed volunteer in the
campaign. Fantastic is the term for her inspired efforts. She worked harder
than anyone, including the candidate." Mary loved poetry and the beauty of
the apposite word. She kept close her memory of having been taught by
Robert Frost at Middlebury College. Even in her 70's, Mary could complete
a New York Times crossword puzzle in less than an hour. She had a
fondness for dogs and after she could no longer care for a dog herself,
always carried a dog cookie in her pocket in case she ran across someone
walking their dog.
Mary was a talented hostess, catering her own parties in Washington,
DC while her husband Bob worked in the White House during the 1960's.
After the family moved to Austin, Texas, she continued to host old
Washington friends and new Texas friends at their home overlooking Lake
Austin. During the 1980's, she continued to enjoy entertaining as the first
lady of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
Mary returned to Washington more than twenty years ago and lived in
Kalorama Square before retiring to an assisted living facility in Frederick,
Maryland.
Mary is survived by her husband Bob, her children Beth, Bruce, John
and Ann, her sons in law, Roger Hurst and Steve Chiles, her grandsons,
Joshua Garza, Eric Hurst and Alden Hurst, her nieces and nephews, Mary
Bruce Honkonen, Nancy Griffith Baker, Betsy Baker Forester, Brooks
Baker Johnson, Carol Brainerd Meredith, Diane Brainerd Russelavage,
Chuck Brainerd, George Wright, Marianne Hardesty, Rob Hardesty, and
many friends, who have kindly offered their memories to her family as a
celebration of her life. No formal service will be held.
Published in The Washington Post on November 17, 2011
| Mary A. R. Hardesty |