Percy Harden

July 11, 1933 – October 8, 2016

Percy Lawrence Harden, Jr., 83, husband of Mary L. Harden, passed away Saturday, October 8, 2016, at his home in Indianapolis.  Born July 11, 1933, in Jackson, TN, he was the son of the late attorney Percy Lawrence (P.L.) Harden, Sr. and Marjorie Robison Harden.

He graduated from Merry High School in Jackson and attended Tennessee State University in Nashville.  He was drafted into the Army and served during the Korean War.  He was honorably discharged in 1953.  Upon his discharge he joined his family who had moved to Indianapolis. Mr. Harden was employed by the U.S. Army at Fort Benjamin Harrison for 33 years and for a number of years managed the photographic facility there.  He retired from civil service and owned and operated a local real estate office until health issues limited his activities.  He was a prolific photographer and worked as a stringer for the Associated Press a number of years covering the Indianapolis 500.  He was especially proud of his trip as a photographer with President L.B. Johnson and the signature fountain pen given him by the President. 

He loved motorcycles and he and his wife Mary enjoyed participating in regional competitions and traveling to motorcycle races.   He was a veritable collector – of everything from cars to cameras to coins and his car automatically stopped at garage sales.  He was the “go to” person on all things mechanical and knew something about almost everything.  He was willing to debate (and win) on most subjects be it politics, sports, or life itself.  He and his boys spent untold hours in friendly discussion.

Mr. Harden is survived by his wife and best friend Mary Louise and their blended family --  daughters Marjorie and Linda Harden; sons Richard (Lucretia), Calvin (Elizabeth), Darrell (Tampa, FL), and Craig Harden; stepdaughters Allison Redd Shields and Robin Redd Perry (David) (Waukegan, IL); stepson Andre R. Redd (Fairview Heights, IL); grandchildren Anita Michele, Lauren, Melissa, Calvin, Kenneth (Annette), Chris, Corey and Madison Harden; Elise Gonzales; Jasmine and Kendall Rollins; Tomika, Tiffany, Alexandra, and Adrian Redd; Andrea Evans; Candace and Dominique Davie, and David, Justin (Maria) and Jonathan Perry; and great grandchildren.  He is also survived by his sister Anita J. Harden and nephew Brian Weir-Harden (Jennifer); great nephews Leland and Lincoln; great niece Ainsleigh; and mother-in-law Dorothy Brown.  He was preceded in death by sons Kenneth and Percy Harden III and their mother his former wife Shirley Ann Davis.

Mr. Harden will be laid to rest in the Field of Valor at Crown Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Harden Endowment for the Mentally Ill at Community Health Network Foundation, 7240 Shadeland Station #125, Indianapolis 46256; or the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, 600 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis 46202.