Cavan Hardy

Obituary Cavan Hardy, 91, of Carmel-by-the-Sea, passed away at his home on Monday, June 25, 2018, comforted by his wife Carolyn, his daughters, and a dedicated team of caregivers. Cavan was born in Phoenix, AZ, on November 16, 1926 to Thornton Sherburne Hardy and Ruth Wayson Stacker. Hewas raised in Honolulu, his mother’s homeland. With the aid of a generous benefactor, he attended Iolani School in Nu’uanu—at the time a private school for boys run by the Anglican Church of Hawaii. Cavan was known to be a prankster in his younger days. His school life changed dramatically when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The grim reality shut down the school as the male teachers went off to war and students helped with massive clean-up operations. After graduating from high school at age 17, Cavan made passage by ship across the Pacific. Because of Japanese submarine activity, the ship bound for San Francisco arrived in Seattle instead. Cavan hitchhiked to his destination where a friend waited to help get him established. He married his first wife in San Francisco, was soon drafted into the Army in 1945, and then shipped out to the Aleutian Islands. Upon discharge from the Army, Cavan returned to attend University of San Francisco in 1947, majoring in Political Science. Since eighth grade he wanted to become a lawyerand he obtained his law degree in 1951, graduating second in his class. He first worked for the law firm of PillsburyMadison & Sutro, then Keith Creede & Sedgwick before a friend lured him to Sacramento in 1958 to work for Bradford Cross Dahl & Hefner. It was there he teamed up with John Quincy Brown, Jr. and Bill Wilson, joining Norwood Erich to form the law firm of Hardy, Erich & Brown in 1967. Cavan retired from active practice in 1984, but continued to head education programs at his former firm. After moving to Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1986, he volunteered for a number of years as a part-time professor at Monterey College of Law, teaching courses in bad faith and general insurance law. His legal practice had been limited mostly to civil litigation relating to insurance law, and in retirement he consulted in his areas of expertise. He will always be remembered for his fairness and remarkable ability to remain objective when others lost their objectivity. He was a member of the California State Bar, American Bar Association, American Board of Trial Attorneys(ABOTA), Northern California Defense Counsel (past member, Board of Governors); and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He looked out for others, whether it was his family, his partners or a neighbor next door. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea recognized Cavan as an unsung hero for specific acts of kindness that made the community a better place to live. His sports hobbies varied from playing handball and tennis, to bike riding, running, and sailing. He never lost his sense of humor and was grateful for the adventures and blessings that a well-lived life provided him. He resided in Carmel-by-the-Sea for 32 years. Cavan was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Blaise Courtenay Hardy. He leaves behind his loving wife of 36 years, Carolyn Hardy (Seibel), his adoring daughters Alison Hardy (Jerry Petzak) of Carlsbad, CA and Robin Hardy (Jim Pfost) of Encinitas, CA, grandson Scott Dingle and great-granddaughter Amelia Dingle of Pittsburgh, PA, sister Sherburne Aberle of San Pablo, CA, and his nieces and nephews. Memorial services and interment will be held on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Road, Seaside, CA. Donations in Cavan’s memory may be made to The SPCA for Monterey County, Box 3058, Monterey, CA 93942-3058, or to the Carmel Public Library Foundation, Box 2042, Carmel, CA 93921-2042, as he loved his cats and was a devoted reader of books. Cavan’s family would like to thank Dr. David Straface for his years of care, the teams at Hospice of the Central Coast and at Halo Specialized Home Care, all who were of great comfort to Cavan and support to Carolyn. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cavan Hardy, please visit our floral store.