Jack “John” Hardin
Jack “John” Hardin
Cedar Rapids
Jack “John” Hardin died in his sleep on July 24, 2023, of congestive heart failure. Jack was born in Clinton, Iowa, on Dec. 22, 1947, and grew up in Hopkinton, Iowa. He is the son of Esther Klaren and Glen Hardin.
Jack graduated from Maquoketa Valley High School in 1966. He served the U.S. Army, and the 389th engineering division of the Iowa National Guard. In his later years, he was a member of the Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing Ghost Squadron and the Show Me B25J team. He was proud to be a veteran and flew the American flag with honor. His professional career includes Highway Equipment, FMC and Rockwell Graphics Systems (Goss). In 1988, he transferred to Goss’ plant in Lancashire, England. It is here he found a passion for traveling, visiting nearly the entire British island and most of the European continent. He traveled to Brazil for work and lived in Japan for six months. In 1993, he started his prosperous career in the areospace industry with In Tolerance, Inc.
He often returned to the UK and France. He loved Prague and Budapest. He expanded his travels to visit Mexico every winter. But Africa was his passion. As a charter member of Metro North Rotary, Jack lead projects for providing computers to students in Senegal, West Africa and drilling clean water wells in Kenya.
For 41 years, he shared his life with his wife, Julienne Junge Hardin. He loved his children, Greg Hardin, Lynne Hardin (Mark) Kruse, Paige Junge, and Annie Hardin. His grandchildren are Caleb Hardin, Carson (Abbie) Kruse and Baby Kruse, William, Connor, Evan and Emma Kruse; great-niece, Ava Isolde Junge; and many additional nieces and nephews in the Hopkinton area. He cherished his moments with brother and sister-in-law, Steven Junge and Tris Dows. Also remembering him are his brothers, Glen (Anna Mae) of Farley, Iowa, Robert (Pam) of Santee, Calif., and Terry of Hopkinton, Iowa.
Preceding him in death are his parents; an infant brother, Richard; sister, Debra Hardin; sister-in-law, Debbie; and in-laws, Robert and Margueritte Junge and Susie Junge.
Jack leaves behind many people he loved, including special families he considered his own: Natalie and Phillip Clouse and children Lucy, Max, Gideon, and his miracle baby, Gwendolyn; Colette and Paul Brookes of Gosport England, and children Alexandra, Lewis, Sophie, Morgan, Harvey and Cydney; and the entire Doug Grunder Family.
A memorial service for his life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, at Indian Creek Nature Center from 3 to 6 p.m., with a tribute at 4 p.m. All are welcome to join us. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to contribute to the Jack Hardin Memorial Fund at Hills Bank, 3204 7th Ave., Marion, IA 52302. His family will distribute donations to several of his treasured charities.
A special thank you to his medical team led by Dr. Shiny Mathewkutty, with Jennifer Lee ARNP, Dr. Anwar Ahmed, Dr. C.C. Lee, Dr. Cam Campbell, Dr. T. Sheeley and the staff who lovingly cared for Jack (even when he was grumpy) at Mercy Medical Center. Thank you also to his friends and caretakers.
Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services is handling the arrangements. Please share your support and memories with Jack’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.