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February 7, 2018
Dynamic
Pastor
Dies
Black History Month
C ontinueD from f ront
churches serving a diverse pop-
ulation at 7600 N.E. Glisan St.
Family and church members
remember him as community
advocate with a whip-crack wit
who challenged and inspired
church goers with fiery, athlet-
ic sermons—sometimes doing
splits and diving off the stage.
In February 2015, Hardy an-
nounced to his congregation
that, despite having a kidney
removed, the aggressive cancer
had spread throughout his body
giving him limited time left and
in continual pain. The announce-
ment sent shockwaves through-
out the community.
The Portland City Council
shortly later declared a Day of
Recognition in honor of Har-
dy and his community service,
recognizing his efforts to keep
young men out of gangs, feed
and support those who are home-
less and engage with people who
are mentally ill, encouraging
conversations in the faith com-
munity about mental illness.
“I’d rather live out Christi-
anity than preach Christianity,”
Hardy said at the time.
Former Sen. Avel Gordly de-
scribed him as “a master teacher,
teaching us how to live and how
to die.”
Hardy was also a friend and
community partner of Concor-
dia University in northeast Port-
R emembeRing
land for the past dozen years as
well as an annual speaker at the
school’s Johnson Family Memo-
rial Scholarship Banquet each
fall.
“Pastor Hardy touched so
many lives, including the lives
of students, faculty, and staff at
Concordia University,” Presi-
dent Charles Schlimpert wrote
in a statement Friday.
The post-secondary institu-
tion honored Hardy with its 2015
Christi Cruz Award for having
made significant contributions to
the church and community.
Hardy transformed Highland
into a $6 million campus with a
loyal following. The church initi-
ated programs to feed and shelter
the homeless, transition former
prisoners into a normal life with-
in the community, and partnered
with organizations like Albina
Head Start, Multnomah County,
the state of Oregon’s REACH
program, and the Highland Af-
rican American Youth Coalition
to fulfill the church’s mission of
servicing the community
A home-going service to hon-
or Hardy will be held Friday,
Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. at the High-
land Christian Center, 7600 N.E.
Glisan St. The service also will
be live-streamed on the Internet
at hcclive.com. In lieu of flow-
ers, donations may be made to
the Wilbert G. Hardy Jr. Youth
Leadership Academy, 7600 N.E.
Glisan St., Portland OR 97213.
Obituary
Black History In Loving Memory
Month Randy D. Barfield
Randy D. Barfield passed away peacefully at
his home in Portland on Jan. 24, 2018. He was
born July 14, 1965.
A homegoing service will be held Thursday,
Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. at Walker Temple GOGIC,
5023 N. Michigan Ave. A public viewing will
take place Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m. at Terry Family Funeral Home, 2337 N.
Williams Ave.
He was a great father to his daughter Myra Barfield and a great hus-
band to the love of his life Cristie Barfield. He faced a difficult chal-
lenge in 2015, but you would never know it because he went through it
with a smile on his face and trusting God the entire time.
He would often say, “God bless and keep God first.”
In Loving Memory
Mildred Carr
Mildred Carr was born Nov. 28, 1923 and
died Feb. 3, 2018.
Services will be held Monday, Feb. 12 at 11
a.m. at the Rose City Cemetery and Funeral
Home, 5625 N.E. Fremont St. Viewing will be
held on Sunday, Feb. 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.