In life, Todd Hardy talked the talk and walked the walk.

As friends and colleagues remembered the former Yukon NDP leader and Whitehorse Centre MLA, who passed away today after a four-year battle with leukemia, passionate, principled and dedicated were recurring adjectives used to describe the man and how he lived.

"Todd put his money where his mouth was and when he believed in something like Habitat for Humanity, he went out and did it,” Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell told the Star this morning, following news of Hardy's passing. "That's leadership, and it's a lesson we can all learn from.”

At the beginning of the decade, Hardy was instrumental in establishing Habitat for Humanity Yukon – its aim to build affordable housing – and in 2006 he witnessed, and lent his carpentry skills, to build the not-for-profit organization's first home in the territory.

Hardy was also a founding member of the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition.

Born in Murraysville, B.C., in 1957, Hardy spent his formative years in the Yukon, having moved here with his family when he was a child.

Eventually earning his living as a carpenter, Hardy also acted as a business agent for the Carpenters Union Local 2499 and Plumbers Union Local 310.

At age 39, he made his first foray into territorial politics and was elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in 1996 as a New Democratic Party MLA.

"I worked with Mr. Hardy not only in the same party and government, but also with him being a member of the opposition,” said Premier Dennis Fentie, who began his political career with the NDP before crossing the floor in 2002 to sit with the Yukon Party.

"And I can say I have a lot of respect for him because he always brought to the political arena his principles.”

In the 2000 election, Hardy lost his seat as the New Democrats lost power to Pat Duncan's Liberals, and later ran an unsuccessful campaign for Whitehorse mayor, coming second to winner Ernie Bourassa.

But two years later, Hardy returned to territorial politics with vigour, going on to win the New Democratic Party leadership, as well as his seat in the following two elections; November 2002 and October 2006, when he fought the campaign from his hospital bed in Vancouver.

In August of 2006, Hardy had been diagnosed with leukemia and had undergone a series of drug treatments and

chemotherapy to beat back the disease.

The politician's seemingly boundless energy, positive outlook and martial arts regime gave Hardy a fighting chance. But at an emotional press conference in February 2009, he announced that he was stepping aside as party leader because his leukemia, previously in remission, had returned and his health was deteriorating.

While the NDP faltered under Hardy's guidance – losing two MLAs to the Yukon Liberals and official Opposition status in 2006 and a third MLA at the beginning of 2009 – the outgoing leader pointed to contributions he and the party made to the territory's politics.

"Over the last six years, what we have been able to do ... is shape a government and direct a government to make major changes in legislation,” Hardy told the media during his February press conference.

"There have been many changes, and you know them. My only regret is that we never formed the government.”

Among those changes are the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods and anti-smoking laws Hardy and the NDP lobbied for and were successful in bringing to fruition.

Current NDP Leader Liz Hanson hopes Hardy's lasting legacy will be his push for legislative renewal.

"He was incredibly passionate about the issues; he thought deeply about them and, even over the last while, he kept trying to find ways to move beyond the partisan bickering,” Hanson told the Star.

"In caucus meetings, he talked about, ‘it's more about what we need to do for people.'

"And what strikes me and was reinforced over the last year was his absolute dedication to the people of the Yukon. Even this spring when he was very, very ill, he carried on to the last days of the sitting and continued to work on files,” Hanson said. "He really cared, and there was none of this grand posturing.”

During visits to Yukon communities in her capacity as NDP leader, Hanson said people, regardless of political stripe, constantly expressed concern for Hardy's health and had kind words.

"Agree or disagree with him, there was something about the man that resonated with people ... his belief that people mattered and that the politician's role was being a servant of the people.”

Longtime friend and party colleague Steve Cardiff, the MLA for Mount Lorne, echoed this sentiment.

"He was a man of great courage and conviction, and he worked hard at his job and had a lot of compassion for people, listening to what their concerns and problems were,” Cardiff told the Star. "And right up until the end, he was still involved.”

Hardy, 53, passed away this morning surrounded by his family and in the Whitehorse home they built.

He is survived by his wife Louise, their children, Janelle, Tytus, Tess and Lymond, and granddaughter Ellazora.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Mount McIntrye Recreation Centre.

Louise Hardy served as the Yukon's NDP MP from 1997 to 2000.