Professor Emeritus Boyd Hardesty Has Passed Away

Dr. Boyd Hardesty died January 22, 2015 from injuries sustained in a fall. He was 82. Boyd was born May 15, 1932 in Cheney, WA to parents Bonner and Mildred Hardesty. He was raised in Rosalia where he met and fell in love with his sweet wife Willa Mae, graduating from Rosalia High School. In 1952, they married at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Spokane.

 

After high school, he went on to Washington State University where he earned his B.S. in 1953. In 1956 he graduated with his M.S degree, going on to California Institute of Technology, graduating with his PhD in Biochemistry in 1961. He was a NSF Post Doctoral Fellow at Yale University from 1961-1963. During this time, his oldest son Bruce Hardesty was born (1958), and in 1961, his second son Brian was born. In 1964, he moved his family to Texas, where his one and only daughter, Diana was born and he accepted a position at the University of Texas, Austin. He was a Professor and research scientist for 35 years.

 

As a research scientist, Dr. Hardesty travelled to many countries, including the Soviet Union, Poland, West and East Germany and South Africa. He and his Laboratory published more than 100 peer reviewed scientific papers. His best known work from the Laboratory was on the development of cell free systems for the synthesis of proteins and on the biochemical mechanisms involved in their ribosomal synthesis. He retired in 1999, holding Professor Emeritus status.

 

In his spare time, he was a seasoned hunter and fisherman taking him to places such as New Zealand, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. He was a life member of the Safari Club International and the NRA. He is survived by his wife of 62 yrs, Willa Mae Hardesty, son Bruce Hardesty, son Brian Hardesty (Lisa) and daughter Diana Burmaster (Doug), along with their children, Derek, Patrick, Jennifer and Katherine. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/spokesman/obituary.aspx?pid=173958686#sthash.3HzKIpQC.dpuf