Margaret (Marg) E. Hardy, born Margaret Lewis in Edmonton on March 20, 1938, was the only daughter of Mary and William Lewis. She died at home with her husband present on August 29, 2020, two days after their 60th wedding anniversary. Marg grew up in Ottawa, graduated from Lisgar Collegiate and completed hospital-based training at Vancouver General Hospital in 1959 and UBC in 1960.

She and her husband attended the University of Washington on fellowships from the National Institutes of Health. She earned an MA in 1965 and PhD in 1970. Her thesis on role stress was among the first interactive minicomputer-based sociology research.

Marg then joined the Boston University School of Nursing. She had a novel approach to teaching: she would incorporate small group projects and presentations into her large classes. Marg then focused on stress, crisis, and adaptation theories to be used in clinical settings.

In 1973 she published Theoretical Foundations of Nursing and in 1974 a major theory article in Nursing Research. It propelled her to the forefront of theory in nursing. In 1978 she co-edited Role Theory, Perspectives for Health Professionals with Mary Conway, dean of the School of Nursing at the Medical College of Georgia. Their book had great international recognition. Marg was headhunted by several universities to become dean but always declined.

In 1977 she was elected a Fellow to the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), then to the AAN Governing Council. In 1986, Marg was recruited by the University of Rhode Island to establish a PhD doctoral program in nursing. There she chaired the doctoral program and taught both doctoral and master's students. She retired from the university in 1993.

Marg proudly remained Canadian.