Michael Dallas Hardin

Michael Dallas Hardin passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 7, 2024 at the age of 78 in The Woodlands, Texas following a 3-year battle with cancer and heart problems.

Mike was born on July 18, 1946 in Louisville, Kentucky to Dallas and Lorine Hardin. In 1965, he met Bonnie Smith when the two were cast in a college production of Thieves' Carnival, and they married in 1967. In 1968, he graduated from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky with a BA in Philosophy, then went on to earn an MA in Philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. Born with a natural aptitude for business, Mike chose to pursue the 9-to-5 life rather than academia. In 1980, he moved to Houston, Texas during the city’s oil boom, and went on to found a successful inspection service, Michael Hardin & Associates, which operated in the Houston area for over two decades. In 2006, Mike retired and was able to devote himself full-time to his hobbies: cooking, gardening, and playing poker with friends.

Mike is survived by his wife of 57 years, Bonnie Smith Hardin, his daughter, Charlotte Hardin, his four sisters, Marlene Wolf, Judy Heavrin, Carole VonderHaar, and Anita Oswald, his beloved cat, Chloe. He will be greatly missed.

Mike had a lifelong love of nature and animals. If you wish to honor Mike’s memory, please make a donation to the ASPCA or another animal welfare organization of your choice. A celebration of Michael Hardin’s life will be held sometime in the future.