Kathleen R. (McManus) Hardwick, 82, passed peacefully on Monday, July 28, 2025. She is survived by her children, Maureen L. Zuromsky and her husband, Paul of Florida, Adrian-Lee Mahan and Abbie Ellis of Hull, MA; two grandchildren, Sean Zuromsky and Addison Mahan and one great-grandchild Hayden Zuromsky.
She was the daughter of the late William and Rose (Villa) McManus. Kathy was raised and educated in Worcester and graduated from Ascension High School, Class of 1961. She also pursued studies in English at Worcester State University. She was the former director of the Piedmont Center in Worcester, implementing a breakfast program for neighborhood children catching the attention of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and was a precursor to the Head Start breakfast program in Massachusetts public schools. Her dedication to public service also included a more than 2.5-decade career at UMass Chan Medical School.
An avid reader, Kathy had no less than 5-7 books going at any given time. Her greatest joy was reading to her grandchildren and later her great-grandchild. She had an incredible sense of humor, which she instilled in her children. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, cousin, and friend.
Calling hours are Sunday, August 10th from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. in O'CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in memory of Kathleen Hardwick to any of the following organizations: Marine Parents.com, Inc. (marineparents.com) or Wellspring Multiservice of Hull (https://wellspringmultiservice.org/).