Gwendolyn Madden Hardy, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, formerly of Martha’s Vineyard and West Medford, passed away on July 28, 2008. She was born in New Brunswick, Canada and lived her early years in Alberta, Canada and Boston. She was a graduate of Girls High School, Boston. Mrs. Hardy was predeceased by her husband, Chester Hardy; grandson, Larry Barcksdale and brother, Phillip D. Oliver. She was the daughter of the late Shirley Oliver and Elizabeth Oliver Newton. She was an active member of Shiloh Baptist Church and later, First Baptist Church of Tisbury. She taught hairdressing/beauty culture at La Newton School of Beauty Culture, Boston which her mother founded and operated. She also taught Cosmetology at Medford Vocational School, Medford before she retired. She was known in the West Medford neighborhood as “Ma Hardy”.
She is survived by three children, Diane Headen of Decatur, GA; Sandra Bronson of Brockton and Joseph Madden of III, devoted daughter-in-law; Dorothy of Bel Air, MD, six grandchildren; Caren Benjamin, Marc Betts of MD, Renee Heywood of MA, Joseph Madden IV, James Madden and Marquie Madden, all of CA, eight great-grandchildren, sister-in-law; Elsie Oliver of Medford and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services were held in the Shiloh Baptist Church, Bower & Holton Street, West Medford, Saturday, August 2, 2008, at noon. The family will receive friends, prior to the service from 10 to 12.
Donations in Gwen’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472 or to the First Baptist Church of Tisbury.
She will be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother who left a legacy of family history that has and will be passed down throughout many generations. For additional information, please visit, www.magliozzifuneralhome.com.