Laura Claire Hardy née Whary, 52, of Monmouth Beach, passed away peacefully Aug. 7, 2022, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, surrounded by close family, culminating a wonderful and fulfilling life of service on behalf of New Jersey’s endangered shore and woodland birds and plants.
Laura’s love of the outdoors was infectious, and her remarkable dedication to the state’s endangered shore birds, such as the piping plover, led her to important positions as a lifetime member and program monitor for the New Jersey Audubon Society, the Monmouth County and Atlanta (Georgia) Audubon Societies, as well as volunteer posts with the Monmouth County Park System and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum.
Laura was fond of gardening, taking great pride in caring for her African violets and her black Labrador retriever Blackberry. She received her Master Gardener certification from Rutgers University Cooperative Extension in 1999. She was also a talented nature photographer and authored the highly regarded blog “Somewhere in New Jersey.”
Back on dry land, Laura worked most recently as a technical account manager for Yardi Systems Inc., and National Housing Compliance in Tucker, Georgia, reporting on housing compliance. She also worked as a social worker for the Monmouth County Public Housing Authority and served as a human services specialist, bilingual, for Monmouth County Division of Social Services.
She was a gifted teacher at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and Brookdale Community College and taught Spanish and mathematics for kindergarten through eighth graders in Middletown Township and the Lavallette Boro schools.
Laura received her M.A. in education from Monmouth University in West Long Branch in 1999, as well as a B.A. in Spanish, cum laude, from Montclair State University in 1992. She graduated Raritan High School in Hazlet in 1988.
Laura was predeceased by her parents, Neil and Claire, and her brothers, Neil and Steven.
Laura is survived by her brother Kevin Whary and his wife Michele of Jackson, and her brother Brian Whary and his wife Jeanette Morris-Whary of Old Bridge. She is also survived by two beautiful nieces, Julia Toner of Howell and Elyse Whary of Jackson.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at Shrewsbury Presbyterian Church, Shrewsbury. In lieu of flowers, all donations in her memory can be made to New Jersey Audubon Society.
Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements.
“The Jersey Shore is the land in my bones. Set me in some other landscape, one of rolling hills, towering evergreen woodlands, or amid busy city streets and I’m reeling and disorientated, wondering from which direction the scent of saltwater will come.”
The article originally appeared in the August 18 – 24, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
