Hardy passed away at home in Victoria, B.C. at age 61. He had retired a year prior, and sadly did not get much time to enjoy the fruits of his many years of hard work. He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 39 years, Criena; daughters, Nakita and Kyra; mother, Amarjit Kaur; brother, Ken (Tashi); nieces, Anika (Rishi) and Ravina (Arif); nephew Kirin (Raj) and their respective children.
Hardy was an IT professional his more than 40-year career and enjoyed the challenges of practising his profession in many varied industries. In addition to working full-time, Hardy enjoyed a few years of part-time teaching and helping Criena to run a franchise operation. Hardy was an exemplary father to his daughters, always making it known they were his priority. Hardy was genuinely a very kind, caring, and compassionate man, whose main focus was always his family. The last 15 years of his career Hardy chose to commute regularly to Toronto so that his family could remain comfortably residing in Victoria. Hardy valued the many lasting friendships he made on the many projects he managed during his career. He was not one to make the effort to stay connected, but always appreciative of those that made the effort to remain connected with him. His viewpoint of life through the lens of a project manager sometimes frustrated his family, and we often told him to stop treating us like one of his projects. Although frustrating at times, his intent was to ensure we were prepared and taken care of, both in the present and the future. Hardy liked to say that he always planned for the worst, but then hoped for the best, knowing that every eventuality had been considered. His passing has magnified this perspective, as he has left us a year-long calendar with week-by-week instructions, for which we are very grateful. Hardy recently said that if he could convey one phrase to everyone it would be ‘he simply ran out of time’. Over the 39 years of marriage, Hardy and I were fortunate to have truly ‘lived’. Thanks to Hardy’s willingness to commute to Toronto frequently for work, our family has enjoyed the opportunity to travel extensively. We are grateful that we indulged in family travels, rather than saving them for his retirement years, as we will cherish those family memories.
As per Hardy’s wishes, a private funeral service has taken place.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Ken and Marlene Grahan
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Raju Lal On 25th of this Nov, I have lost one of the Best Friend of MY LIFE, A Well Wisher of mine. His loss has SHATTERED me and I had kept a days FAST for him on 12th Dec, when I got to know about his Sad demise.
To our Family, he was a an Elderly Member to whom we always looked upon with Deep Respect. Many a times I am not able to hold my tears whenever I remember him. He was a Good Friend to Many.
Raju Lal, his younger brother.
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Pascalle Ellefsen Hardy was such a beautiful person. I always enjoyed his presence and talking with him. Life has taken Nikita and I in different directions these last few years, so I haven’t seen much of you guys. But I truly feel this loss with you and your family. I love you guys and send my deepest condolences.
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Marcia kirby Criena, Nakita and Kyra.
My deepest condolences for your loss. Hardy was truly a remarkable man. I’m grateful that I was able to get to know Hardy and spend some time with him over the past few years. We had many fascinating conversations and I always looked forward to seeing him. He will be greatly missed by many.
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Armando / Iza Diaz Dear Nikita and family
Even though we didn’t have the honour to spend time with Hardy, we will never forget the anticipation we saw in his eyes just before him and Ron were leaving on their trip, we wished we could have thank him in person for what he did for our son, we also thank all of you for being so special.
All our love in this time of sadness and know that he will always be near.
Armando and Iza Diaz
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Mehran Farhadmanesh Dear Criena, Nakita and Kyra,
It’s so upsetting to hear this loss 🙁
He was a great man, with a kind heart, keen mind… a wonderful fatherMy thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mehran
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Mindy Robertson We are so sorry for Hardy’s loss- you all have been in our thoughts and prayers and we know the memories of him will always be cherished- love and hugs to you all ❤️
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Nicki Grewal & Family Dearest Criena, Nakita and Kyra,
We are all so sorry to hear this sad news about Hardy. Our deepest condolences to all of you. We feel your pain. You are all in our prayers and thoughts at this difficult time….
With our deepest sympathy,
Nicki, Parm and Family
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Dan Thomson Criena and family,
I’m so sorry to hear about Hardy.
You have our family’s condolences.
Hardy and I spent many years together at Sierra, followed by frequent Air Canada lounge lengthy discussions while we waited in Toronto to fly home to our families in Victoria.
Hardy would always ask about family and be so proud to update me on what’s going on (with a big smile and his trademark twinkle in his eye).Dan
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Beth Jones Dear Criena and Nikita-This is such a loss to everyone who got to spend some time with Hardy. He was so full of life and love, especially for you, his dear family. I am sending peace and love to you all…Hardy was one of the best and will be greatly missed. Beth (your Camp friend)
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Nancy Henderson Dear Criena, my heart goes out to you and Nakita and Kyra. I unfortunately never met Hardy but I’ve met you and family members and from that know that he was a special and beloved man. He did “run out of time,” but clearly the time he had was used wisely and meaningfully. I am saddened by your loss.
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Gurinder & Narpinder Bawa Criena, Nikktita and Kyra We are so sorry to hear obout
Hardy. So sorry to see him leaving you all so quickly.
Narpinder and I’m so sorry and have no words to pass our condolences. May God bless Hardy’s soul in peace and let you all to bear with this unexpected pain.
Please feel free for any help.
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Ron Diaz The Sekhon family has been my family for many years. Their humanity, love, empathy, and compassion has always been exemplary.
Hardy, thank you for the laughs where we ended up holding our bellies from laughing so hard. I had the distinct honour of spending Hardy’s birthday with him recently on an adventure that lasted one month and will be part of my stories for a lifetime if not more. The amazing endless stories, the insight, the “magic moments”, the competitions, more laughter and letting me see a side of you I never thought I would get the honor to see. You introduced me to so many different things and allowed me to introduce you to things outside your comfort zone. You always brought the best out of people and left great impressions. (Even with the crazies out there!)
Thank you and Criena for being such amazing shining examples to not only your daughters but to the world. I miss you every day! I will always cherish you!
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Stewart Jack So very sorry and sad to hear this news Criena. Hardy always took such joy in life and his smile lit up the room. I valued him as a colleague and he always had time for those around him. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Stewart
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Kirsty Not a stranger to recent loss I feel your pain. My deepest condolences to Nakita and her family. I am sorry for the hard times you will experience but know you have beautiful memories of Hardy that will help be a light in this time. My thoughts are with you.
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Kathleen Sutherland Nakita, Kyra and Criena,
My most sincere and heartfelt wishes for you and your extended family at this time.
I was extremely blessed to have you all come in to my life. You enriched both my family and me by sharing your tremendous family.
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Kelly Ho Dear Criena, Nikita and Kyra,
I am deeply sorry to learn of Hardy’s passing. Though I have only met him a couple of times at Key Club functions, my interactions with him have been pleasant. His legacy lives on through all 3 of you. Please know that all of you are in my thoughts.
Kelly Ho
Kiwanis Club of Vancouver
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Cheryl Li Dear Criena, Nakita, and Kyra,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Despite only meeting Hardy a handful of times, he was always so warm and friendly – your entire family has never failed to make me feel so supported and included. My thoughts and wishes are with you all. Sending lots of love.
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Bill Thomson Criena and family, so sorry to hear of Hardy’s passing. I very much enjoyed the years we worked together at Sierra Systems. My sincere condolences to you and the family
Bill
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Marc Koehn Dear Criena, Nakita and Kyra,
My deepest condolences to you three and also to the extended family. I really love the words in the obituary. It truly captured so much that is Hardy. I think I would only add that his project management and professional passions extended far beyond IT … to public policy and – shall we say – fairly strong geopolitical opinions. He could one moment wax eloquently about the problems of cross subsidies in the delivery of public services; talk passionately about the political situation on the subcontinent the next; then easily shift to the gap in true leadership on some project or country; and perhaps close off with some military anecdote inspired by his father’s life or his own experience at or near some airshow. Over the years he also talked often and proudly about the family’s philanthropic endeavours.
Much of what I know about project management I have learned from my stint at BCBC in the early days of my career and Hardy figured prominently in most of that. He pushed us to get some early industry certifications through leading by example. His experience at the SFU School of Business and subsequent encouragement led me to follow in his foot steps. To this day I quote him on occasion, particularly when there is a hint of a lack of project commitment in the air: Hey people is “is this a project or is this a happening?”. I can therefore quite confidently say that I owe much of my career to his early guidance and mentorship.
As you note, he was not always someone to keep in touch and sadly many of us suffer from that same ailment – I certainly do. As a result we connected far too rarely in the past few years even through I would say we have been friends for over 30 years. So, that “running out of time” notion has real meaning to me.
You are all in my thoughts and I will miss Hardy deeply – particularly the mischievous smile noted by Brent McGaw as well as the faux-serious look follow by that smile noted by Dennis Wellborn, earlier in these pages.
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Anne Tran Fazzalari Dear Sekhon Family,
Like many who have written, I was shocked & saddened to hear about Hardy’s passing – I always respected & appreciated his wise counsel during our projects/collaborations at Infoway…thinking of you all during this difficult time.
Heartfelt condolences,
Anne
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Steven Carter I am very sorry to hear the passing of Hardy. We worked together many years ago at Sierra Systems and found Hardy to be a joy to work with. My thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time.
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Carmen Sorbara Dear Sekhon Family,
I worked with Hardy for 11 years. He was truly an amazing person to work with. He always had a beautiful smile and caring personality. I loved talking with him when he was in the office. On his visits before Christmas, he would bring us homemade almond brittle and it brought me joy that he thought of us. That picture that you posted is how I remember him – that smile! I offer my deepest condolences to all the Sekhon family.
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Jane Holden Dear Sekhon Family,
I had the pleasure of being one of Hardy’s colleagues in the Canada Health Infoway Toronto office. Hardy was an incredibly skilled project professional and a true gentleman. In addition to his professionalism, I’ll always remember stories he told me that made it clear how proud he was of all of you and how much you meant to him. He was extremely well-respected and well-liked by his Infoway colleagues. Please accept my condolences on your profound loss of this good man, gone far too soon.
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Dennis Wellborn Hi Criena,
We’re very sorry to hear of your loss. I always remember Hardy talking and looking at me very seriously, I would wait a second and grin back at him. He would always laugh.
Dennis
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Bill McCann Criena so sorry On Hardy’s passing. Last time I saw him and your daughter we made a commitment to get together after his retirement. He was excited about getting a couple of new pups. The other day I was cleaning out my office and came across of picture of the three of us at Balboa Park in San Diego. So many fond memories of Hardy that will remain with me. My son, Chris, also got to know Hardy at Sierra Systems and he also has great memories as well as a trip to India which I am sure Hardy was responsible for. On the many projects we worked on I can always remember is words “Did you think about this?”
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Lisa sherrah So sorry to hear of your loss. It was always a pleasure to hear about Hardy’s latest projects that he was so proud of. We will miss him and his friendly conversation. Please call on us if you need assistance with anything.
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Gogs Gagnon I worked with Hardy many years ago at BCBC, but yet I still have many clear wonderful memories of his smile, humour and work ethics. My sincere condolences to family and friends.
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Anne Stafford Criena, So sorry to hear of Hard’s passing. I enjoyed working with him at BCBC and when we were with Kiwanis in Esquimalt, My thoughts and love are with you, Nikita and Kyra.
Anne
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Laine Canivet I worked with Hardy on a healthy care project awhile back. He was the best project manager. Smart, practical, able to compromise and to get the job done. It was a sad day for me when he announced he was leaving the project. And it is a sadder place now that he has left this larger project. My heart-felt condolences to all his family. I know there is a big hole in your hearts right now.
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Bob Brandle His smile. His laugh. His twinkle in his eye. No matter what, you always knew Hardy had a ‘Plan B’. We will never forget him.
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Lak Parmar Criena, Nakita and Kyra. Our sincerest condolences to you. Hardy was a colleague and a very good friend for over 35 years. No matter the circumstance, Hardy was a very positive person and always had a smile. I really admired his high energy, professionalism and humor. I will cherish many good memories.I will miss him.
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Catherine Mustafa Oh, Criena! Such sad news! Deeply sorry for your loss. If you ever need anything please dont hesitate. We are just around a few corners and retired. Hugs to you and the girls!
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Brent McGaw Dear Criena, Nakita and Kyra and extended Sekhon family. I am an ex-colleague of Hardy’s. We worked together for the better part of 12 years at Canada Health Infoway. I was very upset last week when I heard of his passing. I read the eulogy above and I agree – Hardy was a special person. I have many fond memories of Hardy. There was a time that I was going through some challenging times with one of my own kids and he was a very compassionate listener, always offered wise counsel, and never lost sight of the big picture! I too lost my father about the same age as Hardy was and it just feels wrong. He too died of cancer. However, I am glad to hear that you hold many fond memories and enjoyed life as a family every day. It is a good reminder to all of us, to live each day to the fullest as Hardy did. I can imagine that this last year has been a very difficult one. I wished I had visited him on my last trip to Victoria about a year ago. I just wanted to say that you are all in my thoughts and I will remember Hardy fondly for his infectious (and a little mischievous) smile that he always seemed to have. I will miss him!
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Randy Darlene Wong Dear Criena, Nakita & Kyra,
Our deepest condolences on the passing of your husband & father.
Our thoughts are with you.Randy & Darlene Wong
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Ron Mahoney Criena and Family…I was deeply saddened to read of Hardy’s passing. I really enjoyed our chats when you visited our countertop showroom. He had a beautiful and curious mind…and a great sense of humor. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Ron
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Richard McLeish I would like to offer my condolences to the Sekhon family. Although I only met Hardy once or twice at the college, I was very friendly with his brother, Ken. I am very sorry for your loss, Ken.
OMGAWD Criena…. Ken just told me that he heard from John Dunning about Hardy. What terribly sad news for you and the girls. I had to think hard to remember how far
our memories went back…with you both and with Ken and Kully…………..when you lived on the mainland. But what I do remember is mentioning to Hardy how beautiful you were when we were at Ken’s wedding. You could tell even back then he totally agreed with me. LOL Yes he was born a gifted story teller and was extremely passionate about all that his mind touched, as well as a smile that lit up a room. I am thrilled that you both were able to build a wonderful life together, full of treasured memories but saddened that it wasn’t long enough. It never is, is it? Lots of BIG hugs coming your way…Love Ken and Marlene Graham