LEWISTON – Hanford J. Tardy, 85, of 70 Blake St., Lewiston, died July 24, at Central Maine Medical Center.

He was born Sept. 6, 1922, in Presque Isle, the son of Joseph and Alice (Goven) Tardy. He attended school in Presque Isle, before the call to duty found him in the European African Middle Eastern Theater as a rifleman in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in the U.S. Army from July 1944 until October 1945, returning home as a wounded veteran.

Once he returned from the overseas conflict, he continued with his job on the University of Maine Experimental Farm in Presque Isle and married Lorraine Guerrette. He labored on the farm for 47 years, attaining the position of the work crew foreman. He greatly enjoyed the outdoor labor, whether it be on the tractor planting potatoes, harvesting various crops, or assisting with the many trials that the University faculty conducted to find a more sustainable agriculture for the Maine farmer.

He also assisted Lorraine with the operation of the farm’s boarding house. University of Maine students from various countries would live with him, Lorraine and their children during the summer months, while the students worked on the experimental farm. They continued this partnership until her untimely death in 1979, due to breast cancer.

He later married Gladys (Gagnon) Gauvin and continued to work on the farm. Shortly after his retirement, they moved to Ocala, Fla., to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. They remained there for several years, until returning to Maine to be closer to their families. For the past few years, he has been a faithful partner visiting Gladys almost daily at Marshwood as she lives with Alzheimer’s disease.

He is survived by his wife, Gladys; son, Donald and wife, Marianne, of Phoenix, Ariz.; son, Michael and wife, Diane, of Sabattus; daughter, Carol Leclair and husband, Nathan, of Lisbon; sister, Charlene Dickenson and husband, Elwin, of Eagle Lake; sister, Mary Jane Gaudreau and husband, Leon, of East Granby, Conn.; stepdaughter, Delcia Goode and husband, Thomas, of Bangor; stepson, Raynold Gauvin and wife, Sandra, of Mapleton; stepdaughter, Diana Tilley and husband, Thomas, of Ocala, Fla.; stepson, Gilman Gauvin and wife, Connie, of Bristol, Conn.; stepson, Gary Gauvin and wife, Pam, of Bar Mills; stepdaughter, Lisa Jack and husband, Gus, of Yarmouth; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and other family members and friends.

He was predeceased by his parents; first wife, Lorraine; half-brother, Michael Goven; half-sister, Varlee Shaw; sister, Kathleen; son, Philip; daughter, Lori Ann; and son, Alan.