Rodney Keith Hardwick, age 86, of Olathe, KS passed away at the Hospice House in Olathe, Kansas on December 24, 2024. A Celebration of Rodney’s life will begin with a visitation at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, at Arnold Funeral Home in Mexico, MO. A Memorial Service with military honors will follow at 2 p.m.
 Rodney was born December 07, 1938, in their family home in Paris, MO, the son of Robert Thomas “Jack” Hardwick and Jesse Virginia Hardwick. He was the middle child, with an older sister, Sue, and younger sister, Mary Linda. His childhood was spent helping his dad on the family farm. He often told stories of riding his horse through snowy weather to grade school. At the age of 5, Rodney began driving the family car when he could barely reach the accelerator. By age 7, he was driving his dad’s tractor while pulling a grain binder. It was the start of a long eventful life driving many types of vehicles, including fast cars as a teenager that usually got him in trouble and earned him the mysterious nickname of the Curly-Q Kid. His love of motorcycles began with his first one at age 11 and continued his entire life. At age 79, Rodney maneu­vered a large motorhome through the narrow streets of New York City, as easily as he had driven the tractors he owned over the years.
 Graduating Mexico High School in 1955 at age 16, Rodney worked briefly at A.B. Chance in Centralia, MO before joining the Air Force also in 1955. First stationed in Florida, he was later transferred to Peru, Indiana where he served as a jet mechanic until 1961. It was there in 1960 he married Barbara Bell. They had two children, a daughter Rhonda Lynn, followed by son, David Michael (Mike). After moving north of Centralia in 1961, Rodney farmed and worked full-time at A. B. Chance. In addition, he enlisted into the Army National Guard where he served until 1980. During his time on the farm, he was on a bowling team, had pet raccoons and a dog named Clyde who rode on the motorcycle with him.
 Rodney’s career as an electrician officially began in the mid-1960’s when he worked for Perkey Electric in Centralia. He and Richard Perkey had many memo­rable and funny adventures together. They enjoyed taking their mules, Gertrude and Rufus, to mule jumps and on many coon hunting adventures of which stories entertained his family and friends.
 In 1979, Rodney married Wanda Woods in Columbia, Mo. They purchased a home in Mexico, MO and thus began a marriage built on commitment, trust and the idea of whatever comes our way, we will be together. Beginning with a honeymoon to Hawaii, their mar­riage was filled with travel and camping adventures, as well as misadventures they enjoyed laughing about long after. When their son, John Rodney, was born he was raised with the travel fever of ’where do we go next’? Although the family visited every state, usually preferring to go west, they had three long, amazing camping vacations to Canada/Alaska. Rodney and Wanda also took 1420-day motorcycle vacations on Rodney’s Harley Davidson to the Northwest, Oregon Coast, Southwest and Northeast. They also enjoyed antiquing, yard auctions and family gatherings.
 By example, Rodney was an excellent role model and father to daughter Rhonda and sons Mike Hardwick (deceased in 2019) and John, instilling in them the values of commitment and hard work while having fun at the same time. Rodney always set high standards for himself on any task he faced and with much common sense he mastered many challenges. He was an excellent cook, electrician, carpenter, painter, gardener and an all-around fix-it man. He enjoyed making old items look like new again such as antique fans, furniture and even his 1951 Farmall Super C Tractor. The Super C was first produced in 1951. Rodney and his dad purchased it in 2001 then Rodney overhauled and painted it, making it look new again. When his equipment would break down, he would patiently take it all apart, determine how to repair it without manuals or guidance, then through trial and error, put it back together again to working condition. His dry wit and the many pranks he pulled with a straight face amused his family and friends who at the same time appre­ciated his advice or assistance when they needed it. He loved time with family and friends, Griswold Cast Iron, fried potatoes and especially his 1962 Cub Cadet mower, his “all-terrain vehicle”.
 In addition to his wife, Wanda, Rodney is survived by his daughter Rhonda (Roger) Ball of Centralia; son John of Olathe, KS; sisters Sue (Harold) Ward of Centralia, MO and Mary Linda (Dwight) McKenzie of Columbia, MO; grandchildren Ryan (Laura) Ball of Colorado Springs, CO and Rochelle (Robbie) Hill of Sturgeon, MO; great-grandchildren, nieces and neph­ews as well as his many friends and the pets he loved.
In addition to his son Mike, Rodney was preceded in death by his parents.
 In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials may be made on Rodney’s behalf to The Hospice House; 15310 South Marion St; Olathe, Kansas 66061; 913-324-8588, https://give.classy.org/Give-Olathe or to the charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.arnoldfh.com