Richard S. Hardwicke of Bentonville, AR, passed away on January 24, 2023 after a valiant battle with cancer. Rick was born on July 15, 1954, in Ft. Worth, TX, but resided in Northwest Arkansas for 44 years.
Rick is preceded in death by his father, Richard M. Hardwicke and his grandson, John Carter Bryant. He is survived by his mother, Betty Jo Hardwicke of Pittsburgh, KS; his loving wife, Christine Hardwicke of Pea Ridge, children Jessica (Brent) Orr of Norman, OK; Katie (Dustin) Bryant of Rogers, AR; and beloved grandchildren Anna Claire, Bennett, and Sutton Orr and Walker, Elliott, and Eden Bryant. He is also survived by his devoted sisters, Lynne (Bill) Erdman of Pittsburgh, KS, and Jeanne (Mike) Goolsby of Carthage, MO and their families.
Rick followed in his dad’s footsteps and began working for Frisco Railroad while attending Southwest Missouri State University working on his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. His interest and love of the railroad continued throughout his lifetime. Rick married his college sweetheart, Chris, in August 1978 and then moved to Northwest Arkansas to finish Law School. He was a 1980 graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law and a practicing attorney in Northwest Arkansas for the past 42 years, where he helped people of all backgrounds who needed his calm, steady direction in legal matters.
In addition to his career serving his clients, Rick loved his family above all else. He and Chris were married for 44 years and spent their time supporting first, their girls and then, later, their grandchildren. Being ‘Papaw’ might have been his favorite role. In the more recent years, he could be found cheering his grandchildren on at every cross country meet, football and basketball game, baseball game, cheer and any other event they were involved in.
Rick was a music lover all his life and the Allman Brothers Band’s number one fan, sharing his passion for their music with his children and grandchildren, even when unsolicited! He read more books than you could ever imagine and passed on that love of reading to his daughters. His favorite things were listening to his music while reading a book, usually with his grandchildren wrestling and playing all around him. He was our quiet, introverted, steady, faithful hero and we will miss him forever.
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