Thomas Walter Tardy III

Thomas Walter Tardy, III, lived his life grateful for every day. Tom loved life and lived it vigorously. He was a loyal husband, a loving father, and a remarkable attorney. He was a good friend, especially to his law partners. He was a constant worrier and a writer of caustic emails. He will be missed greatly by his friends and family.

Tom was born into a family of furniture merchants in Winona, Mississippi on August 7, 1946, to Lela Holman Tardy and Thomas Walter Tardy, Jr.

He graduated from Winona High School and Mississippi State University. Tom served in the U.S. Army where he was an Instructor, Officer's Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, Vietnam. Tom returned home and enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Law, graduating with a law degree. He remained an Ole Miss Rebel fan the rest of his life. Incongruity reigned because he also still supported the Mississippi State Bulldogs until his death.

Tom moved to Jackson and began working with Thomas Price Alston Jones & Davis, later joining Alston Rutherford Tardy & Van Slyke. In 1995, Tom joined his friends at Forman Perry Watkins Krutz & Tardy in Jackson where he practiced for twenty years. During that time, the firm opened offices nationwide and grew to be one of the most respected product liability defense firms in the country. Tom was proud to be part of the firm and the success that originated in Mississippi. In 2015, Tom joined Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy where he practiced full time until his retirement in January 2022.

Tom’s personable nature and willingness to take on the most complicated issues marked his career. Tom was an unbelievably gifted attorney who was committed to his work, his clients, and his partners. Tom built lifelong relationships by simply talking to people face to face and listening. He was a great listener. Tom would tell you his success didn’t come in court victories or dismissals for his clients. There were too many of those to count. His success was that he truly enjoyed his job. Tom’s ability to take on some of the most difficult legal problems of his day came simply in his enjoyment of his work and his never-ceasing work ethic.

In his spare time, Tom enjoyed golfing, walking, and traveling, having had the privilege of experiencing Russia, Italy, Costa Rica, Greece, the Galapagos Islands, and numerous Caribbean Islands. He enjoyed daily walks, using the personal time to catch up with friends, family, and colleagues, observing the local animals with his grand-dog Millie.

Tom was a member of Christ United Methodist Church. He is survived by his patient wife, Rebecca Hathcock Tardy, the love of his life; his fantastic children, Thomas Walter Tardy, IV (Kate) and Mary Margaret Tardy; sister and brother-in-law, Annette Dardaman (Chris); sister-in-law, Christina Tardy; stepsister, Roxanne Ballard (Frank); and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Walter Tardy Jr. and Lela Holman Tardy; brother, Charles Tardy; and nephew, Chip Dardaman.

Tom passed away peacefully after a brief bout of pancreatic cancer at 5:01 p.m. on March 7, 2022, ensuring he got in a full day of work, proudly sporting his “don’t mess with an old man with a law degree” t-shirt. He did things his way to the very end. Visitation will be Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, and services will be held at Parkway Funeral Home in Ridgeland on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 2:00 pm; attendance by his former law firm employees is mandatory.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society online at www.cancer.org or by calling 1-800-227-2345, or donate to the charity of your choice.