Johnny Bobby Ardery Sr.

Johnny Bobby Ardery Sr., age 85, of Nacogdoches, Texas, passed away on September 20, 2025, in Vancouver, Washington. Johnny was born on September 20, 1940 in Nacogdoches, Texas to Willie Ardery and Tressie Lakey. He was known to have a way with numbers, mechanics, words, and style. He dressed sharp for any and every occasion and contrary to his signature look in photos, he accentuated his suits best with his bright smile and kind eyes.

Johnny started working at the age of 12, washing dishes after school for a hotel restaurant. From there, his hustle never stopped. After studying business at Cal Poly, Johnny worked in accounting and then collections. Eventually, he started his own collections agency, with an office in both Portland and Seattle.

Don’t let the paper pushing fool you! Johnny knew his way around a car, inside and out, kept up the yard, and fixed things around the house; all in pressed trousers, of course.

After retiring, Johnny stayed just as busy as ever. He devoted his weekday mornings to answering phone calls for the Share House hotline, placing Women (and their children) in a nightly shelter. The rest of his time was spent with his wife of 50 years, Phyllis, by his side. The “Two Old Timers” could be found gambling, driving up and down the west coast (frequenting LA and Reno), and most importantly to both of them: spending as much time with family as they could, in person and on the phone.