'Joe proved that nothing was impossible:' Family, friends remember Joe Hardy
EIGHTY FOUR, Pa. (KDKA) - A celebration of life turned into a celebration legacy yesterday.
Influential businessman and community staple Joe Hardy died on Saturday, which was also his 100th birthday.
Hardy, the founder of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, turned 100 yesterday, and later that afternoon, his family announced the news of his passing.
He was known for his vast success, growing 84 Lumber into a billion-dollar company.
In his obituary, it said that he passed "in true Hardy fashion" with a cigar in hand and surrounded by his friends and family singing a Broadway tune inside his home in Farmington.
Statement from the Hardy Family:
"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Joseph A. Hardy, III. The Hardy family lost their patriarch and all-around great man. Many knew Joe as a brilliant businessman and enthusiastic entrepreneur. Even with his vast success, Joe always remembered what matters most: people. He helped make the American dream real for so many, and he will be greatly missed. Joe proved that nothing is impossible by willing himself to his 100th birthday. His family is beyond proud of him for making this final accomplishment."
Public viewings will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Beinhauer Funeral Home in McMurray.
His funeral will be held Thursday morning at 11 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers, non-family members are asked to make donations in his name to Habitat for Humanity or the Pennsylvania Classic Foundation.
