Obituary of Dianne Louise Hardy

Dianne Louise (Moore) Hardy Pictou Our loving and beautiful mother, Dianne Louise (Moore) Hardy, 82, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 surrounded by the love of her children and her caregiver. Mom was born on March 21, 1941 in North Sydney, NS to the late Otto and Alma (Bethune) Moore. She spent her early years on Brook Street in North Sydney where she developed a love of playing piano and music which lasted her lifetime. Mom shared memories over the years of playing in the Music Festival as a child and practicing diligently in order to be prepared for her stage performances. Mom’s family moved to Truro in the early 1950s and settled on Hayward Court. Mom worked as a Medical Secretary for Dr. Handforth at the Colchester Hospital, a job she loved and talked about as both fulfilling and interesting. Mom’s next move was to Pictou in 1966 when she and Dad relocated for Dad’s teaching job at Pictou Academy, living first on Chestnut Street and then moving to Cedar Street until finally settling on Denoon Street, where she lived until her death. Mom became active in her community and her church and served on various committees over the years, namely the Sutherland Harris Hospital Ladies’ Auxiliary, Sutherland Harris Hospital Foundation, the Board of the Hector Centre, St. James’ Anglican Church Parish Council. Mom’s love of music continued as she sang in both the St. James’ Church choir and the Trinitarians choir in New Glasgow, which brought her much joy and lasting friendships. Mom was a constant support as her children and grandchildren learned to play the piano, and she loved to attend her granddaughters’ recitals and provided guidance and teaching as they practiced at home. Mom and Dad owned and operated Sounder in Pictou from 1980 to 2000 and Sounder Audio Video in New Glasgow from 1986-2000. The businesses ran for many years providing Pictou County with quality electronics and audio and video entertainment media. Mom had a keen interest in genealogy. Even before Ancestry, Mom was actively searching out our family history by going through reams of microfilm at the Public Archives and visiting graveyards looking for headstones that might provide clues and information about our family history. Mom’s searches included the Moore, Bethune, Fiander, Moffatt families, to name a few. Mom spent many hours at the table with family friend Eric LeBlanc, piecing together family connections and trying to keep track of the many Samuel Fianders that exist in our tree. When the opportunity arose and Alan Marble or Terry Punch were in town for engagements, Mom was sure to be there to ask questions and get specific help from them to try to locate information on our ancestors. Mom loved making these connections and was always thrilled when the pieces fit together. Through her genealogy work, Mom discovered that a family member who served in the military did not have a headstone and she worked diligently to access funds through the Last Post Fund to have one provided for him. In later years, after Dad died, Mom travelled overseas to visit daughter Mary Beth. The first trip to Finland in 2002 to visit Mary Beth and John was with granddaughter Sarah. Mom made several more trips to Finland while Mary Beth, John and Lauren were there, and then to London, England and Doha, Qatar. Mom thoroughly enjoyed these trips which allowed her to visit her family and to experience new places. When Mom’s kidney disease progressed and dialysis was needed, Mom lived with Mary Beth and her family for 2 years while she attended dialysis in Halifax, travelling each week to and from Pictou for treatment. In spite of her medical issues, Mom provided a loving and steady influence on her daughter’s and granddaughters’ lives during this time. Mom was grateful to continue her dialysis treatment in Pictou when a spot opened up, as it allowed her to live in her own home and community once again. Anyone who knew Mom knew that she loved cats and she was a loving pet owner over the years to many feline friends. She loved her yard, trees and gardens and enjoyed visits from the deer. The deer, who had been absent for many days, appeared on the morning of May 30, as Mom transitioned from this world to the next. Mom’s love and legacy lives on in children, Gregor (Lynn), Mary Beth (John Jodrey), grandchildren Sarah (Daniel) Levert, Scott Hardy, Lauren and Olivia Jodrey and great grandchildren, Evangeline (“Eva”) and Colt Levert. Mom was predeceased by her parents, Otto and Alma (Bethune) Moore, husband Alex and her brothers, George and Gerry. She is survived by her brother Harold and nieces and nephews, including her namesake, Dianne. We would like to thank Mom’s caregivers, Kyla, Gwen, Stef, Arlene, Cathy, Katherine and the VON nurses who provided loving and compassionate care for Mom which allowed her to stay in her own home. We are grateful for the care and support provided to Mom by Dr. Bradley MacDougall, Dr. Michael West, and Dr. Maureen Nolan. We would also like to thank the Dialysis Unit nurses at the Sutherland Harris Hospital and the QE 2 who provided care and support to our mother during her dialysis treatments. In keeping with Mom’s wishes, cremation has taken place. Arrangements are entrusted to McLaren Funeral Home, Pictou. Funeral service will be held at St. James’ Anglican Church, Pictou on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 2 PM. Donations in Mom’s memory can be made to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, VON, SPCA or a charity of your choice.