Our beloved Rhonda Lynn Hardy passed into her father and mother’s arms on the morning of Sept. 21, 2020. She was born in Kearns, UT on Friday, October 13, 1972 to Richard Ungritch and Linda Ungritch.
Rhonda had the opportunity to move to different locations as a child and teen. In turn, she was able to see and meet all kinds of different people and lifestyles, often being the “new kid.”
Starting from a young age, Rhonda had to learn to be tough when needed, but she also learned to be kind and giving. I can’t count the times something she had worn out or broke and heard her say I had another but I gave it to someone who needed it, all the while knowing she would need one soon.
Rhonda was an extremely hard worker who felt no matter how big or how small the job, it should have been done five minutes ago. Rhonda wasn’t capable of seeing someone who was her elder lift a broom or a shovel or a lawnmower without offering to help, which usually meant taking over.
Rhonda only found out she had stage four cervical cancer in April 2020 and by then it was really hitting her hard. She was strongly advised to do chemo and radiation simultaneously to aggressively treat her disease. In doing so, she suffered a major stroke. She needed help with everything from dressing to getting to her wheelchair to using the restroom. She was so determined and in her words “such a bitch to the nurses” to not miss her chemo and radiation appointments. She was able to have them release her two days later. She never missed an appointment with the cancer specialist and finished both chemo and radiation on June 9, 2020.
Most of her last year or so, she was so brave and tough while there were others around. But once alone, she would double over in pain and sob about what the cancer was doing to her. Rhonda was a proud woman and not being able to work or help others was the worst part of it all for her.
Rhonda was preceded in death by her father Richard, whom she looked up to and loved with all her heart, her mother Linda and also her best friend Quinn. She is survived by her four children, Ashly, Alissa, Colby and Kristin, her two brothers, Chris Hardy and Shawn Hardy. Her step mom, Pixie Lowder, boyfriend/caretaker Danny Chatterton and good friends Mel, Diane, Precilla and Bounce, amongst others.
We would also like to thank the palliative specialists and cancer specialists at Utah Valley Hospital. They went above and beyond to make the situation the best that they could.
Rhonda was not the easiest person to be friends with or love, but like they say – the harder you work for something, the more you appreciate it and miss it when its gone! We all miss and love you, Rhonda. I sure miss you and love you, Baby Doll.
There will be a celebration of life at Viking Park in East Carbon on Saturday, October 10, 2020 from 2-4 p.m.