Dorothy Hardy
Dorothy Pierce Hardy, died on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002, at her home in Upper St. Clair. Dottie, beloved daughter of the late Robbins L. Pierce and Marguerite Smith Pierce, and loving sister to Jane Pierce Eaton, was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 31, 1923.
From the humble beginnings as a stock boy for the Atlantic Pacific Tea Company, her father, Robbins, eventually became President of A & P. With each promotion, the Pierce family moved their household until finally making their permanent home in Mt. Lebanon, where Dottie graduated from high school. As a teenager, Dottie spent many weekends at Seven Springs taking horse drawn sleigh rides and playing cards in the evenings with her family. From these early days, two lifelong passions began to take hold, bridge and standard bred racehorses. Bridge for Dottie began as a social pastime and eventually led to competitive games in which she earned several master points. One of Dottie’s first racehorses was named Snibbor (that’s Robbins, her father’s name spelled backwards). Snibbor never proved to be a champion but allowed Dottie to become familiar with the process of developing one. In 1981, Dorothy had the privilege of sending Delmonico Hanover to France to compete in harness racing’s internationally acclaimed the Prix d’Amerique. Her champions included Pompano Flash, Steeler Spur, Pegasus Spur, Cameron Spur, and many others. Dorothy’s great, great, great, great-grandfather, James Carnahan, was President of Princeton University, and she had legitimate claim to being a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution but ancestry and titles were of little importance to her. Dottie volunteered at South Side Hospital with the Women’s Auxiliary (which her mother Marguerite founded). For 17 years, she sponsored a young girl named Mia through Save the Children Foundation, and was a trustee of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. As an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dorothy served as an elder and enjoyed being a member of the choir.
In 1943, Dottie married her high school sweetheart, Joe Hardy, Founder of 84 Lumber Company. She is survived by their five children, Joseph, Paul, Robin, Kathy and Maggie; 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Perhaps Dorothy’s greatest legacy is the empathy she possessed. Her understanding and nurturing of the human spirit was her gift to all who were lucky enough to have known her.
Funeral arrangements are by BEINHAUERS, (724) 941-3211. A Memorial Service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, 2040 Washington R., (412) 835-6630, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, at 11 a.m., with a reception immediately following at St. Clair Country Club, 2300 Old Washington Rd., Upper St. Clair, (412) 833-5550. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Standard Bred Retirement Foundation, 49 East Main St., PO Box 763, Freehold, NJ 07728, or the Donnell House-Hospice Care of Washington Hospital, 10 Leet St., Washington, PA 15301.