Em Rivers Hardy

Dr. Em Rivers Hardy, 74, passed away on February 4th with her two sons and their wives sitting lovingly by her side. She had suffered multiple strokes during heart surgery earlier in the week.

Born June 28th, 1948 in Richmond, Virginia, Em was the oldest of two sisters raised in Amelia Court House, Virginia surrounded by a large extended family. She had many close friends growing up and was successful in all aspects of school life. She was an excellent student and a leader in extracurricular activities, including being one of the top female athletes in her school. After receiving her bachelor's degree at James Madison University, she returned home to teach for a year before heading to the University of Virginia to pursue her master's degree and play intercollegiate basketball. With her master's degree in hand, she and her partner, Vi Clark, lived and worked in Boone NC where she delighted in the outdoor activities afforded by the region. Her next stop was Michigan State University where she earned her Ph.D. in Psychology. It was during her internship at Iowa State University that she met Carol Logan with whom she shared countless adventures and raised their sons Zac and Drew.

Em found deep joy and satisfaction in her work. She had a particular passion for helping children who were experiencing issues with adoption, trauma, and attachment. In her words, she helped "others fine-tune their lives so that their pain is smaller and their joys are greater."

Em experienced life to the fullest and could never get enough of her favorite hobbies. Em took so much pride in coaching her son's respective baseball teams, and instilled the love of the game in every kid who was fortunate to call her coach. She was her happiest when white water canoeing or skiing fresh powder in Colorado.

She spent her final three years living her dream-traveling the country in her travel trailer with her beloved cats, exploring anywhere her heart desired. You could find her lounging on the beach in Panama City, watching balloon festivals in New Mexico, enjoying the scenery of Colorado, and everywhere in between.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Isabel Bertha Key, and her father, Charles Farrar Hardy. She leaves behind sons Zachary (Irene) Hardy and Andrew (Heather) Hardy, grandchildren Avery Joanne Hardy and Davis George Hardy, sister Cynthia/Cindy Luongo (John) Cassidy, uncle, Jess (Phyllis) Key, as well as nieces Jennifer (Danny) Luongo Schmidt and Charlotte (James) Luongo, great-niece, Emilia Schmidt, great-nephew, Walton Schmidt, and numerous cousins.

There will be a gathering to remember Em scheduled in the near future, updates will be posted to her Facebook page and this obituary on Legacy.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to:

Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary

https://www.thunderingpaws.org/donate/

Or, Casting for Recovery

https://castingforrecovery.org/donate/