Donald "Donny" Ray Hardin

Donald Ray “Donny” Hardin passed away on October 22, 2020. Donny was born in Murphysboro, Illinois, on September 6, 1952.  He was the second of six children born to Cecil and Mary (Frost) Hardin. When Donny was two years old, the family moved to Oklahoma City where he and his siblings grew up in and around the Gatewood neighborhood. Donny attended Gatewood Elementary and Classen Junior-Senior High, graduating from Classen High School in 1970.Donny was passionate about sports throughout his life, especially baseball. Visiting Yankee Stadium and celebrating the World Championship Cubs were among Donny’s happiest moments, but he also shone as a coach to his kids’ teams throughout their childhoods. Donny was an avid bowler, participating in leagues for most of his adult life. He was an avid fan of Oklahoma Sooner football and loved to gather with friends and family at OU Football watch parties. Boomer Sooner!

After spending some time in Southern California, Donny returned to Oklahoma and met the love of his life, Anna Day. They married in 1980 and started a family that became Donny’s proudest achievement. Donny loved rock and roll (especially the Beatles, Elvis, and Bruce Springsteen), going to shows with Anna, and instilling a love and appreciation for music in his kids. He and Anna became active with the local branch of Parrotheads, where they celebrated the music of Jimmy Buffett and gained a new respect for margaritas.  Donny was a member of United Auto Workers Local 1999 for 26 years and worked at the General Motors plant in Oklahoma for the entirety of its existence. After the plant closed, he worked at Riverwind Casino for a decade before retiring. Donny’s greatest joy in life was seeing his kids start their own families. His three kids brought him eight grandchildren and being a part of their lives became his passion.

Donny is preceded in death by his beloved wife Anna, his parents Mary and Cecil, and his brother Gene. He will be missed by his daughters, Raye Leigh (Anthony) Thornton and Melissa Lombard, son James Hardin, grandkids Kyle, Kyleigh, Robyn, Katelynn, Annalise, Lily, Colin, and Liam, brothers Rick (Nancy) and Bill, sisters Paula (Bob) Fiala and Janie (Vincent) Trent, and too many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends to count.

A memorial service to honor Donny’s life will be held at Ingram, Smith & Turner Mortuary on Saturday, June 19th at 2:00 p.m. Burial will take place at Alto Pass Cemetery, Alto Pass, Illinois, during the Frost Family Reunion on Sunday, August 1st.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Kindful Hospice in Oklahoma City (kindfulhospice.com) in honor of Donny. During the last five months of his life, Vanessa and Marcus of Kindful Hospice-OKC were his closest caregivers and friends. When in-person visits were impossible due to COVID-19, Vanessa and Marcus blessed Donny with their presence and offered peace, comfort, and companionship when we could not. For that, we are grateful.

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