Jan Hardy

Jan Elise Hardy, an icon of Lake Charles society in the 1980s, passed away at her parents' home in Carlyss on September 25, 2014. A celebration of Jan's vibrant life and spirit will be held at the Johnson and Robison Funeral Home in Sulphur on Sunday, September 28, from 5:00 to 9:00pm, with a rosary beginning at 6:30. On Monday, visitation will be held at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Carlyss from 8:30am, with mass to follow at 10:00am. In memoriam to Jan's sense of fashion, attendees are encouraged to wear hats, bright colors and plenty of jewelry. On May 21, 1955, Jan made her appearance in this world. She graduated from Sulphur High School class of 1973, where many of you may remember her as the class favorite, co-caption of the Toreodors, Miss SHS, and voted most beautiful. An impeccable dresser with a knack for interior design, Jan cherished beauty in all forms, whether in humans, the natural world, or the objects that decorate our lives. She won Miss Teen Beaumont and competed for Miss Teen USA. The poem she read to clinch the crown was titled "Happiness." Jan was also a devoted scholar all her life. After taking some Marketing courses at the University of Texas at Austin, Jan returned to Louisiana to graduate Magna Cum Laude in 1982 from McNeese State University, with Bachelor of Science in Mass Media/Journalism and minor in Psychology. During her last semester at college, Jan became the anchor of KPLC's Live at Five TV segment, the beginning of her storied career in communications. Many viewers may recall Jan's animated, colorful broadcasts during her near-decade-long tenure there. She had a way of charming and disarming those she interviewed with her conviction, sincerity and winning smile. On air and in her own home, Jan was a generous, gracious spirit who reveled in spending time with good people. These traits would also serve her well in her career in the biotech medical field. Jan moved to Houston with her daughter, Brandi Goode, in 1990, and worked in leadership roles for various medical firms for the remainder of her career. Her ambitious, diligent approach to her vocation, aided by immense Southern charm, resulted in her breaking sales records being granted numerous accolades. She served as Communications Chair of the American Heart Association from 1997-1998. Her pioneering, adventurous spiritin addition to the insufferable heat of Houston summersled her to move to Colorado in the early 2000s, where she developed a love for the mountains and purple skies of Denver. She also loved traveling with her daughter, and the pair shared many memorable trips across Europe and Asia, as well as domestically. Her home was filled with photos and well-cared-for greenery, and she was an avid reader. Jan was bright; both in her intellect and love of vivacious colors. She was also passionate about the people and causes that fueled her, and in the latter year of her life she was deeply involved with her Catholic faith. Jan was a leader in the Colorado-based Endow women's group and became a Third-Order Carmelite. Those surviving to cherish her memory are her daughter, Brandi Goode (husband Daniel); her mother and father, Lorena Barnes Hardy and Roland Hardy; her siblings Bob Hardy, Clint (wife Carmen) Hardy and Gay Hardy Riley; and a host of dear friends who were like family to her, who will miss her warmth and undoubtedly hold fond memories of her. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Inez Arceneaux and Percy H. Barnes Sr.; uncle Percy H. Barnes Jr.; aunt Miriam Barnes Owen and husband Melvin G. Owen. Pallbearers include her brothers Bob and Clint, her nephews Matthew and Zachary Riley, Brandi's father Mark Goode, and brother Kevin Goode. In lieu of flowers, family would appreciate donations made to the Catholic church, specifically her home parish of St. Theresa in Carlyss. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.johnsonrobisonfh.net.