Shirley Lee Hardies

Shirley Lee Hardies passed away peacefully on May 12, 2026, at the age of 91. Shirley was born on March 31, 1935, in what was then known as Nichola, Pennsylvania, a tiny coal-town community that is now part of Worthington, Pennsylvania. Her childhood home still stands today, a modest three-bedroom house where each generation had its own room: Grandpa, Mom and Dad, and the children. After Grandpa Lamison passed away, the boys and girls were finally able to have separate bedrooms. Shirley was the daughter of James Herbert Ray, Sr., and Mary Campbell Lamison Ray, and she grew up surrounded by a large, lively family. In 1953, she graduated from Worthington–West Franklin High School in a class of just 24 students. Her senior class superlatives included Prettiest Eyes, Nicest Personality, Best Built (a compliment very much of its era) and Nicest Smile. After high school, Shirley moved to East Butler to live with her older sister, Elsie Couch, and became a secretary at Magnetics Incorporated. There she met a young electrical engineer named Charles Hardies. The two decided to marry, but first Shirley had to correct her birth certificate, which originally listed only her last name, “Ray.” At age 18, she officially amended it to include “Shirley” and “Lee.” Over the years, Shirley lived in Butler, Pennsylvania; Newtown, Connecticut; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Peters Township, Pennsylvania, before finally settling in Severna Park, Maryland, where she spent 55 years building a home filled with love and laughter. In the final weeks of her life, she moved from Severna Park to Pasadena, Maryland. Shirley loved family and friends above all else. She and Chuck spent many winters with family in Arizona. She enjoyed golf, tennis, and especially bridge, a game she loved both for its challenge and for the companionship it brought her. Several cherished friends continued visiting and playing bridge with her until just weeks before her passing. Those who knew Shirley will remember her outgoing cheerfulness, gregarious spirit, and eager smile. She was a longtime member of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she found friendship, comfort, and community. In addition to her beloved husband, Charles, Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Wilbert, William, James Herbert, Jr., Adam, George, Perry, and (by less than a month) Richard; and her sisters Sarah Ellenberger, Elsie Couch, Martha (Rider) Ellenberger, and Berniece “Jean” Maley. She is survived by her three children: Vicki Rangus of Richmond, Virginia; Charles Hardies, Jr., of Escondido, California; and Robert Hardies (Mary) of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Her grandchildren Owen and Matt (Mary) Rangus, Chelsea (Cory) Gallihugh, and Rachael Hardies; and her great-grandchildren, Max, Oliver, and Carli, brought her endless joy and lit up her later years with their energy and affection. She is also survived by her brother, Donald Ray (Nancy) of Poland, Ohio, and by approximately fifty nieces and nephews. Shirley wished for neither a memorial nor remembrance service, but if so moved, she would have been overjoyed to have donations made to Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation, John and Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122. She will be interred with her husband, Charles, in the columbarium at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, Maryland. “In lieu of flowers or gifts, Shirley would have appreciated donations to Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation”

Shirley Lee Hardies

March 31, 1935 - May 12, 2026