Dr. Billy Starr Hardman, M.D.

Dr. Billy Starr Hardman, M.D., died peacefully on July 31, 2018 at his home in Longstreet Hills, Gainesville, Georgia, after a long, healthy and happy life. He was 98 years old.

Dr. Hardman was born July 13, 1920 in Gainesville, Georgia at the old Downey Hospital located in downtown Gainesville. He was the youngest of three children born to Thomas “Tot” Fielder Hardman (1891-1965) and Etna Beatrice Starr Hardman (1892-1987).

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 51 years, Estelle Daisy Watson Hardman, who was a University of Georgia graduate, homemaker, gourmet cook, champion golfer, and a community volunteer. Dr. Hardman was also preceded in death by his parents, his two sisters, Margaret Evelyn Hardman Hill and Rebecca Hardman Hogg, and his son Dr. Thomas “Tom” Fielder Hardman, M.D.

Dr. Hardman is survived by his children: William “Bill” Starr Hardman and his wife DaAnne, James “Jim” Dala Hardman, Laura Beth Hardman Caudell and her husband Danny; ten grandchildren: William Starr Hardman, Jr., Brooke Wilder Margerum and her husband Brian, Forest Stuart Hardman, Stephen Bennett Hardman, Hilary Camille Hardman Triggs and her husband Clayton, Adelaide Noelle Hardman Bradley and her husband Mark, Matthew Bryan Caudell, Anna Kathryn Caudell, Brad Fielder Hardman, and Scott Thomas Hardman; Eleven great-grandchildren: Victoria Grace Margerum, Parker Davis Margerum, Scarlett Elizabeth Margerum, Raleigh Estelle Hardman, Oksana Camille Owens, Eric Brauch Owens, James Hamil Owens, Sienna Giada Triggs, Maxwell Stephen Gaylor Triggs, David Allen Bradley, and Adam James Bradley. Step-grandchildren: Clayton Daniel Caudell, James William Cobb, Jr., Anne Elizabeth Durel, and Claudia Wright Wheeler. Also surviving are twelve nieces and nephews and seven step-great-grandchildren.

Dr. Hardman spent most of his early years growing up in Gainesville, Georgia where his father was a pharmacist at the former Piedmont Drugstore on the downtown square and his mother taught china painting classes at The Quinlan Art Center. From an early age, Dr. Hardman had a hard work ethic, working as a clerk and soda jerk during high school and college at the Piedmont Drugstore making $18.00 a week.

His family lived in Conyers, Georgia for one year where he graduated from high school at the age of sixteen. From there he attended North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia where he received an associate’s degree in sciences and was 1^st LT. of his ROTC Platoon. He then attended the University of Georgia where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and was the admitted to the University Of Georgia School Of Medicine in Augusta, Georgia, now known as the Medical College of Georgia. While attending the medical school, he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha “Honor Medical Society,” and received his Doctor of Medicine degree. He graduated from all four institutions ahead of schedule and with honors. At the age of 23 he became a licensed physician.

After medical school graduation, with World War II underway, Dr. Hardman joined the United States Army and was commissioned as a 1^st LT. in December 1943. He served his country as a physician in military hospitals from Florida to California. He witnessed the introduction of the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin, during this time and saw that it saved large numbers of returning wounded troops from death and amputations caused by infected wounds. Following the war he was discharged as an Army Captain.

After the war, Dr. Hardman received a fellowship at The Medical College of Georgia to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1948 he returned to Gainesville, Georgia to open his medical practice at the age of 28. Dr. Hardman became the 13^th doctor in Gainesville. Northeast Georgia Medical Center did not exist at this time, only the old 36 bed Downey Hospital, where he was born.

Quickly realizing the need for a larger hospital that could offer more services, Dr. Hardman joined with a small group of local physicians that would ride the Southern Cresent Train from Gainesville, Georgia to Washington, D.C. to lobby for a federal grant under the recently passed Hill-Burton Act to construct a new hospital in Gainesville. Money for construction was approved and the all-new 90 bed Hall County Hospital, now known as Northeast Georgia Medical Center, opened May 1, 1951 with 16 physicians on staff. Dr. Hardman served as Chief of Staff in 1956 and as Chairman of the Credentials Committee in 1977 and 1978.

His original solo practice was located in the old Plowden Building in downtown Gainesville. Later he was joined in practice by Dr. Barton McCrum, M.D. in 1949 and they built a new building near the medical center. His early medical practice also took him on “house calls” to the homes of patients all over northeast Georgia.

Well before the days of Medicare or Medicaid, he was always willing to provide for other and devoted many hours every week to those who could not afford medical care, providing at no charge not only OB/GYN services but cancer treatment and surgery as well.

During the Korean War, his partner in the OB/GYN practice, Dr. Barton McCrum, was called up to active duty as an Air Force pilot. During one of those years, as the only obstetrician in the multi-county area, Dr. Hardman performed more than 500 deliveries that year.

In addition to the responsibilities of his own medical practice, Dr. Hardman was always active in local, state, and national medical organizations during his career. Locally her served and Chief of the Medical Staff at Northeast Georgia and President of the Hall County Medical Society.

He was one the founders Lanier Park Hospital and served as Chairman of the board of Trustees and Chief of Medical Staff. He was one of the founding families of Lakeview Academy. His daughter, Laura Beth, was one of the first students.

Dr. Hardman was also active at his Alma Mater, The Medical College of Georgia, over the years and served several terms as Chairman of the Medical College Foundation.

Seeing a growing need for qualified nurses, Dr. Hardman, along with other local physicians and Mrs. Ocie Pope, a local respected nurse, founded the Hall County School of Nursing, which later became The Brenau University School of Nursing. He and others mentored and taught student nurses to supply the growing local medical community.

He was or had been a member of the Lanier Men’s Garden Club, Elks Club, American Legion, Anglers Sunday School Class, A founding member of the Chattahoochee Country Club, and had been a lifelong member of The First Baptist Church of Gainesville, having joined the “cradle class” in 1920.

In his almost 100 years of life, he enjoyed a variety of interests and loves including: his large family and many dear friends, playing golf, The Masters, gardening, tennis, exercise, bird hunting, bird dogs, boats, boating, camping, loved music especially jazz and American Standards, learning, reading (sometimes reading 50 book in a year), The Atlanta Braves, Georgia and Georgia Tech football, and traveling. He also had a love for horses, especially Tennessee Walking horses and competed at the National level. At one time, Dr. Hardman owned a stable of 12 horses, including a retired horse from the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

He enjoyed following the career of his first cousin Ed, son of his Aunt Dena and Uncle Henry. Dr. Henry Edward “Ed” Roberts, M.D. was an engineer, medical doctor, and the father/inventor of the personal computer. Bill Gates and Paul Allen left Harvard to write software for Edward’s Altair 8800 computer.

Before the invention of the computer and computerized medical records, which came very late in Dr. Hardman’s career, there was no way to have an exact count of how many babies that he delivered, but his long time staff estimated probably more than 12,000.

After 44 years of Medical Practice, Dr. Hardman retired from active practice in July 1987.

Visitation will be held Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel. A Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, August 3, 2018 at 11:30am at Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel. Dr. Bill Coates will be officiating.

A private interment will be held in the Hardman Family Plot at Alta Vista Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Ministry of Caring, 751 Green Street, Gainesville, Georgia 30501, or to a charity of your choice.

Online condolences can be made at www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com. Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel, 989 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, Georgia. 770-297-6200.