Clifford Leroy Hardie, age 85, of Wilmington, Ohio, passed away Saturday evening, March 3, 2018 at the Cape May Retirement Community in Wilmington, Ohio.

He was born March 22, 1932 at the St. John's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, son of the late Phillip Kearny & Emily Marson (Hare) Hardie. He grew up in Garden City, Long Island, New York, where he was sports editor of the Garden City News. On September 6, 1960 in Floral Park Long Island, New York, he married Connie Herbst Hardie, who survives.

Mr Hardie was a Professor Emeritus in the English Department of Wilmington College, serving over 35 years and had written seven books of poetry. He was a 1955 Graduate of Northwestern University and studied writing with the Irish writer, Frank O;Connor. At Northwestern, he was the winner of the Shuman Scholarship for Creative Writing. Then spent 3 years in the US Army, 20th Infantry Regiment,serving during the Korean Conflict at Fort Kobbe in the Panama Canal Zone. After serving our nation, Mr. Hardie worked for the Teachers Insurance in New York City before he went to NYU to get his masters and work on his doctorate. His graduate thesis was the study of the works of Charles Dickens.

In addition to his wife of 57 years, other surviving family members are his son- Dr. William (Dr. Jennifer) Hardie of Lebanon, OH; grandchildren- David, Julia, & Christanna; sister- Susan Alexander of Kingston, Jamaica; nephew- Phillip Alexander of MA; and niece- Wendy Kuehn of FL.

Prayers will be said at 10:15 AM, Friday, March 9, 2017 at the Fisher-Edgington Funeral Home, 97 West Locust Street at North Mulberry Street, Wilmington followed by his Funeral Service at 10:30 AM, at the St. Columbkille Catholic Church, 73 North Mulberry Street, Wilmington. Interment will follow in the Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wilmington, where the Wilmington American Legion Post #49 will accord full military honors. The family will receive friends from 9:00 AM until the time of prayers at the Fisher-Edgington Funeral Home.

Contributions in Mr. Hardie's memory may be made to the Community Care Hospice, PO Box 123, Wilmington, OH 45177 or to the Ohio Livingat Cape May, c/o Whitney O'Neal, 175 Cape May Driver, Wilmington. To sign the online guest book, please go to edgingtonfuneralhomes.com.