Ken Hardison
Age - 73
October 4, 2023
Kenneth J Hardison, Naval Hero, Proud Volunteer Firefighter, Loving Husband, and Father, passed away on Saturday, September 30, 2023, with his wife and daughters by his side Ken was born in Nassawadox, VA, to the late Jake Bray Hardison and the late Betty Jean Bradford Snell on December 5, 1949 Ken was raised on Chincoteague Island, VA surrounded by a large extended family, including his late Grandparents, Charlie and Oneida Bradford Chincoteague was always his home; even after traveling the country during his time in the service, it still called to him Ken loved his country and he enlisted in the US Navy, where he served his country proudly and with dignity for 21 years, retiring as a Senior Chief He commissioned several ships and spent years away from his family cultivating his talents at various schools throughout his Naval career He was stationed in Norfolk, VA, Rochester, NY, and Mayport, FL, where he raised his three Daughters During his time in the NAVY, Ken served in many capacities, including gas turbine tech, NAVSEACENLANT calibration tech, TECHMATICS ships construction engineer (Washington State), and TECHMATICS resident engineer AGEIS (Wallops Island, VA) When he retired from serving his country, he moved back to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where his roots called him home It was here that he met the love of his life, his "woomun" as he called her, Rita While not one to sit idle in retirement, Ken gained employment as a mobile power engineer with NASA, working for LGT and Honeywell, Special Projects with BAE Ken also lent his hands and his heart to many service organizations here on the Shore; as a lifetime member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, he became a firefighter, ambulance squad leader, a Saltwater Cowboy, and President, where his photo is proudly displayed along with other past presidents in the lobby of the firehouse But he didn't stop there; Ken was also a member of the Temperanceville Masonic Lodge #241, where he served as Master Mason and was also a valuable member of the Shriners Khedive Temple and the Eastern Shore Shrine Club Wherever help was needed, Ken was there He not only served his country, but he served his fellow man, and his smile was as big as his heart Prankster, jokester, friend, co-worker, it didn't matter; Ken was larger than life in so many ways When he was your friend, he was your friend for life, and he could be counted on to give his heart, his time, and his opinion whether you liked it or not But you can rest assured he gave it all willingly many, many times over Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Rita Gaskins Hardison; daughters Stacy Chaback, Tammy Watford (James), and Mindy Barber (Kevin); grandchildren, Tyler, Lacy, Blake, and Riley, all of Jacksonville, FL ; step-sister, Robin Ireland (Lenwood), step-brother, Buzzy Hardison, sister-in-law, Nancy Hardison and step-mother, Becky Hardison; several nieces, nephews, cousins and several close friends Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his stepfather, Robert Snell, and his brother, Mickey Joe Hardison He loved his animals; they too were family Of those, he was preceded in death by JD, Tahoe, Diamond, Geronimo, Rebel, Magic, and Angel, and is survived by Precious There will be a viewing from 7-9 p m at Salyer Funeral Home, Inc on Friday, October 6th, 2023, with a Masonic service at 7:30 p m Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, October 7th, 2023at 11 AM at Union Baptist Church on Chincoteague Island, with the Rev Maury Enright officiating Interment will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, PO BOX 691, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336 Services entrusted to Salyer Funeral Home, Inc on Chincoteague Island, VA Condolences may be made online at http://www salyerfh com
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