Leonard West-Hardisty

Leonard West-Hardisty of Chapel Road, Barrington, passed away peacefully at home on April 7, 2021 with his family. Six generations of his family have lived in Barrington since 1888. The eldest son of the late Donald B. Hardisty and the late Adeline (St. Germain) Hardisty. Born in Providence, RI. He also lived in Riverside, RI and Warwick, RI, where he met his future wife (when he was nine years old), graduated from Warwick Veterans Memorial High School. He has a sister Donna Shaw Gordon (Kevin) of Warwick, RI. He is predeceased by his younger brother Jonathan Hardisty. He served in the United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol as a third class petty officer on the oceanography ship Evergreen for which he received an Honorable Discharge and a National Defense Service Medal. He subsequently became a Flotilla Commander in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and was a Lt. Colonel, aerospace education officer, and aerial photographer in the Civil Air Patrol. After retiring as a printer he worked as a photographer and taught college for twenty years (at the University of Wyoming, University of Connecticut and Rhode Island College) while earring three undergraduate degrees plus a Master’s and PhD. in education. He followed up with a post-doc astrophysics study project and presented free public workshops wherein participants got to examine and hold pieces of our Moon, the planet Mars, a comet and several asteroids. He was an FCC licensed educator on public radio in Connecticut for four years where he produced and hosted classical music show “Women Celebrating Music” featuring women composers and women performers. He is survived by his wife Marguerite (Rathbun) Hardisty plus his daughters Marguerite Lesieur (Dexter) of Devine, TX; Dorothy Windham of Dalzell, SC; Mary Harnedy (Debbie DelFino) of East Greenwich, RI; and son Christopher Hardisty (Sue) of Warwick, RI in addition to 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Following cremation, interment will be in the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery with Military Honors. He will be laid to rest near his father, a World War II Army veteran and his brother, a Coast Guard veteran. The family would like to thank Visiting Nurses, Home and Hospice of Portsmouth, RI and special thanks to Eileen, Shirley, John, Marcella and Aleia who are dedicated to their craft in care and kindness toward Len and Marge during this transition. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Amos House, 460 Pine Street, Providence, RI 02907 or Southern Poverty Law Center, Fighting Hate; Teaching Tolerance; Seeking Justice, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104. Services are private.