Don Eugene Hardin Jr. passed away on April 6 after a battle with cancer. He was 89.
Hardin began his O&P career in 1967, and devoted more than 57 years to it, remaining active until his passing. He served a term as president of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) from 1991 to1992 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
He was also a driving force behind the creation of the Challenger Division of Little League Baseball, later known as the Orthotic and Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF). As an O&P advocate, he served on several boards, including for AOPA, OPAF, the International Association of Orthotic and Prosthetic National Associations, and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.
A standout left-handed pitcher on the high school baseball team, Hardin was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals but chose instead to pursue higher education—first attending the University of Illinois, then graduating from Bradley University with a business degree, majoring in marketing.
