Richard (Rick) Harding

All-around good guy; father, son, brother, and friend, Richard (Rick) Larry Harding passed away May 23rd, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rick, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was formerly of Wauconda, Illinois; and Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Rick, the eldest of 3 boys, was born on December 5th, 1966 to parents Larry and Janet Harding. Rick was raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, attended Kalamazoo Public Schools, and was a proud Graduate of Kalamazoo Loy Norrix High School in 1985. Rick attended college at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and graduated with a Degree in Finance from the Hayworth College of Business.

Rick was a major aficionado of music, especially live music. His love of live music started when he was in high school. He would gather with his friends, and they would attend most, if not all, the national touring acts that visited Kalamazoo playing Rock-n-Roll. He followed various artists on their tours around the country including the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, Govt Mule, and a whole host of the great blues artists. He was an accomplished guitar player, having studied at the Berklee School of Music in Hollywood, CA.

Rick was also a practitioner of several disciplines of martial arts. Among his specialties were Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, and Judo. He was an accomplished Judo practitioner and won several regional competitions.

Rick’s love of music was instilled in his children as he supported and encouraged them to get involved in the fine arts and both of them have played multiple instruments. Rick’s encouragement and support were also felt by his children in the events, activities, and sports they participated in.

Rick worked mostly in accounting, IT, and database architecture, and most recently worked as an Independent Consultant in the IT field.

Rick is survived by his children, Kathryn Harding and Michael Harding, both of Wauconda, Illinois, his father Larry Harding of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Brothers William (Kirstin) Harding of Dyer, Indiana, and Andrew (Erin) Harding of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Nieces Ryenne Harding and Preslee Harding; of Dyer, Indiana; Aunts Judy (Harding) Berger of Portage, Michigan; Rose (Pietkiewicz) (Donald) Hickey of Albion, Michigan; and his ex-wife Melissa (O’Toole) Harding of Wauconda, Illinois.

Rick was preceded in death by his mother, Janet (Pietkiewicz) Harding.

The Harding Family will host a Celebration of Life for Rick on July 23rd, 2022 between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM at Zion Lutheran Church at 2122 Bronson Blvd. Kalamazoo, Michigan, and invite all of Rick’s family, friends, and co-workers to help celebrate the life of our Father, Son, Brother, and Friend.

Donations can be made in remembrance of Rick to support the ongoing educational endeavors of his children Kathryn and Michael Harding at the following GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/kathryn-and-michael-harding?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

or to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission:

https://www.vegasrescue.org/donate/