84 Lumber Founder Joe Hardy Dies at 100

The business leader had 'an infectious outlook and personality that inspired people' and 'never missed an opportunity to teach a lesson in business or in life,' says daughter and 84 Lumber president Maggie Hardy.

Joseph A. Hardy III, the founder of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Resort, died Jan. 7 on his 100th birthday.

“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,” the Hardy family said in a statement released by 84 Lumber.

Hardy was born in Upper St. Clair Township, outside of Pittsburgh. During his final year at Lehigh University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a radioman during World War II. In 1946, Hardy began working for his father in the family-owned jewelry store and attended the University of Pittsburgh, earning a degree in industrial engineering.

“My father was always asking, ‘What's’ next?’ He wanted to conquer the next challenge or make something even better,” Maggie Hardy shared in his obituary. “He taught us never to be satisfied and to push to be better today than we were yesterday. He had an infectious outlook and personality that inspired people. He never missed an opportunity to teach a lesson in business or in life. And he valued his people more than anything.”