Frances "Frankie" Rouse Hardy's Obituary
Frances (“Frankie”) Rouse Hardy, 72, of Albemarle, NC, passed away suddenly on November 14, 2025.
Born March 15, 1953, and raised in La Grange, NC, Frankie was the youngest daughter of the late Harvey and Frances Rouse. She attended King’s Business College in Raleigh, NC, where she was the homecoming queen and graduated with a 4.0 average. She worked as an administrative assistant at Wachovia Bank; operated a DMV location in Snow Hill, NC; and served as a bookkeeper for Greene County Schools. She was also instrumental in the early success of the family business, Hardy’s Appliance & Furniture, including designing and accessorizing gallery displays. She later worked at Lenoir Memorial Hospital before retiring. Frankie moved to Albemarle, NC, after her first grandchild was born to be close and part of her grandchildrens’ lives.
Frankie will be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother. She was a devoted Christian. She loved to craft, garden, rescue animals, visit the coast, and her favorite thing in the whole world was spending time with her children and grandchildren. Frankie was an avid reader, often finishing more than a dozen books each week before her passing. The library thoughtfully devised a new system for tracking books their members borrowed because of Frankie’s love of reading and how many books she was going through.
Frankie is survived by her daughter, Melissa Grimes and her husband, Doug; son, Carl G. Hardy IV (“CG”); and son, Christopher Hardy and his wife, Emily; grandchildren, Madeline Grimes, Bryce Hardy, and James Grimes; and sisters, Sue Neil Godwin and Peggy Pelletier.
The family will hold a private celebration of life at Frankie’s beloved destination, Harker’s Island.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered in memory of Frankie to any animal shelter/rescue or to the charity of one’s choice.
Arrangements are in the care of Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care, 1835 Badin Rd, Albemarle, NC 28001.
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