Obituary of Rene Ernest David Hardy

HARDY - RENE (E.D.) passed away on Monday, July 6, 2020 at the Meadows Longterm Healthcare Facility with his family by his side. Rene was born in Belleview, MB on January 13, 1938. After completing Grade 8 at Belleview School he went to Souris to work in construction. While in Souris he met and married his wife Reita on May 2, 1959. They moved to Manitouwadge, ON where he began working as a mechanic. This began Rene’s lifelong passion and career in the mechanics field and he achieved his Journeyman Certificate. Through the years, his work took him to Geraldton, ON, Ste. Rose, Portage La Prairie, MB, Shackleton, Cabri (10 years at Cushing’s) and finally Vanguard, SK, where he worked as a Service Manager for Case IH for 17 years. Rene was dedicated to lifelong learning which included becoming a small aircraft pilot. In 1993, he taught himself machining and completed lathe work for the farming community. Everyone would say, “There isn’t anything Rene couldn’t fix!” Rene always had a hobby or project on the go. Just a few were electronics, woodworking, constructing a homebuilt plane, rebuilding a 1949 Land Rover Jeep and a replica 1905 Oldsmobile as well as building small engine models. He built every component of the engines himself. He travelled to many places to display his engine models and shared his passion of how engines work. Those models as well as the replica Oldsmobile are now on display with the Leduc West Antique Society in Leduc, AB. Rene enjoyed hunting, fishing and travelling. Both he and Reita travelled Canada from coast to coast as well as several U.S. states. He will be forever missed and always remembered by Reita, his wife of 61 years, daughters and sons-in-law, Helen (Greg) Shields, Sandra (Randy) Wernicke and his grandchildren Stacy (Devin) Nymark, Amanda Shields, Dean, Kevin and Matthew Wernicke. A family prayer service will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 3:00 pm at Parkside Memorial Funeral Home. It will be streamed live from Parkside Memorial Funeral Home Facebook page for those who cannot attend. The interment will take place at Virden Cemetery, Virden, MB. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Meadows Auxiliary or to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Rene. For further information or to sign the family book of condolence, visit www.parksidefuneralhome.com Arrangements are in the care of Parkside memorial Funeral Home – Ryan Cappelle. THE FUNERAL CAN BE WATCHED LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://boxcast.tv/view/rene-hardy-funeral-service-716586