Jimmy Hardley Sr.

JIMMY LEE HARDLEY, SR. WAS BORN ON MARCH 9TH 1939 IN BIRMINGHAM, ALAВАМА ТО ODESSA JOHNSON AND WILLIE L. HARDLEY, SR. JIMMY WAS BAPTIZED IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AT AN EARLY AGE.

JIMMY WAS A STAR ATHLETE ATMACHOLAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN BIRMINGHAM,ALABAMA. IN THE LATE 1950'S AT THE WISH OF HIS MOTHER HE MOVED TO CLEVELAND, OHIO TO AVOIDTHE BIGOTRY AND RACIST CLIMATE THAT CAN EASILY END A BLACK PERSON IN ONE OF ITS SOUTHERN JAILS OR WORST!

IN CLEVELAND HE WORKED A FEW ODD JOBS AND PLAYED MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN HIS SPARE TIME. AT ONE GAМЕ, НЕ МET AND FELL FOR JULIAM. JORDAN THAT WILL BE HIS BELOVED FOR THE NEXT 67 YEARS. THIS UNION PRODUCED THREE SONS,CURTIS, JIMMY, JR. AND RICKY.

AFTER WORKING SEVERAL JOBS, HE FINALLY FOUND A JOB THAT HE LOVED AND ENDED UP WORKING THEREFOR 26 YEARS WITH THE CLEVELAND BOARD OF EDUCATION CENTRAL KITCHEN BEFORE RETIRING THERE. DURING HIS RETIREMENT HE DISCOVERED AND,ENJOYED AND JOINED THE JEHOVAH WITNESS TO HIS WIFE'S DISAPPROVAL! BUT LATER SHE CAME AROUND, AFTER HER SON INTERVENE AND TOLD HER THAT GOD LOVE HAS NO CLOSED DOORS AND ALL WHO LOVE AND EMBRACE GOD AND FOLLOW HIS WORDS AND TEACHES WILL BE WELCOME.JIMMY SR. WAS A DEVOTED JEHOVAH WITNESS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND ENJOYED GOING TO MEETINGS, GOING DOOR TO DOOR, EVEN TALKING TO NEIGHBORS, GOING TO HOSPITALS,

TALKING THE DOWNTRODDEN ON THE STREETS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR WAY. IN HIS SPARE TIME JIMMY SR. LOVE WATCHING BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL HIS TWO FAVORITE PORTS,TEASING AND FUSSING WITH HIS WIFE,SONS AND GRANDCHILDREN, PLAYING AND TRYING TO SING HIS FAVORITE GOSPEL SONGS BY SAM COOKE (WHO HE CALLED THE GREATEST SOUL SINGER OF ALL TIME) THE SOUL STIRRERS, THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, THE FAIRFIELD FOUR, AL GREEN, THE PILGRIM TRAVELERS, THE SWAN SILVERTONES AND THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY.

HIS BELOVED JULIA M. HARDLEY PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH

JANUARY 11, 2026. ALONG WITH HIS PARENTS AND

OLDER BROTHER CURTIS.

MR. JIMMY HARDLEY, SR. LEAVES BEHIND HIS THREE

SONS, CURTIS, JIMMY AND RICKY. BROTHERS,ROBERT LEE (d. SABRINA), WILLIE, JR(w. SHIRLEY, s. WILL-WILL) OLLIE MAE AND LAWRENCE KIRBY- HARDLEY, ROSE HARDLEY (FOSTER),GRANDCHILDREN: JUWAN, RICKARIA AND JAMIKA,GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER LEA-LEA, MEMBERS OF HIS JEHOVAH WITNESS FAMILY. A FUND HAS BEEN SET UP FOR JIMMY HARDLEY, SR., ANY DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS CAN ВЕ GIVEN TO THIRD FEDERAL BANK, ASK CURTIS OR JIMMY JR.