William Hardy Jr.

Bill Hardy Jr., age 83, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2025, at Butterworth Hospital following a long journey struggling with Alzheimer’s. He is survived by his devoted wife, Claudia (Jomphe) Hardy; her son, Daniel Sullivan of Grand Rapids, MI; brothers, Ed Hardy of San Francisco, CA and David Hardy of San Diego, CA, and by his sister, Sylvia Menees in Aurora, OH. Bill was preceded in death by Claudia’s daughter, Joanne Sullivan.

Bill graduated from Williams College, later earning his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. For many years prior to his retirement, he practiced as a member of the legal team at Amway in Ada.

Bill’s passions included thousands of hours spent hunting using guns as well as a bow and arrow, accompanied by his beloved bird dogs. He could also frequently be found on the tennis courts at Macatawa engaged in many spirited matches during leisured summers spent there. Reading also offered a great source of pleasure for him, particularly the genre of science fiction.

During their marriage, Bill and Claudia enjoyed many travel experiences. Both were certified in scuba, and their adventures ranged from exciting dives off many of the Caribbean islands to those off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In 1998, they also attended the celebrated tennis finals at Wimbledon in England.

A service in celebration of Bill’s life will be held Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 2:00 PM at the Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Services, 4291 Cascade Rd., SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. The family kindly requests that donations in Bill’s memory please be made to the Bissell Pet Foundation, dedicated to ending pet homelessness: www.bissellpetfoundation.org (616) 735-6666; Bissell Pet Foundation, 2345 Walker Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544 or to the Greater Grand Rapids Ducks Unlimited, committed to restoring our marshes and saving our swamps: https://ggrdu.com.

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