Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Johnny Lowell Hardy, also known as Dino and Boo-Boo to family, was born in Lunenburg County on April 21, 1961 to Lewis A. and Christine Bell Hardy. He departed this life on October 17 at Prisma Health Baptist in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife Teresha and family by his side. At an early age, he joined Bethany Baptist Church in Kenbridge. Johnny attended Lunenburg County Public Schools and graduated from Central Senior High School with the class of 1980. After graduation, Johnny joined the United States Army in 1981, where he served four active years to continue on his years of service in the Army Reserve. During this time he served in Desert Storm from 1990 until 1991, Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2007-2008 and served with the 2/319th Ghost Riders. During his time of service, Johnny received numerous awards. He retired in 2013 with the rank of (MSG) Master Sergeant General. Johnny was employed with the South Carolina Department of Corrections from 2013 until his health started to fail. He was known by his co-workers as Officer Hardy, one who was free-spirited with a bubbly personality. Johnny, as a young man was instilled with great working ethics by his father. He worked on the family farm in the raising of tobacco, feeding the chickens, pigs and milking the cow known as “Jenny.” Johnny along with his sister Doris, who was just a little under two years older than him, were inseparable. They were each other’s right and left. Daddy always said, Doris could get Johnny to do most anything, which was proven many a times. Johnny loved to collect coffee mugs and would ask those who traveled to bring him a cup. He had a 1977 Cutlass Supreme that he loved and he spent numerous hours tinkering with it. He was a family man and loved to plan events that would bring the family together. Whenever he would come home to Virginia, he would go visit his cousins, and his childhood friend “Mack”, who was just like family. Johnny gave Macklin his army hat that he cherished and wore all the time, that gave him his strength, he felt invincible, “Hardy Strong” as we would say. No matter how far away he traveled, he would always come back home to Lunenburg. He knew when he came home, he could get his favorite food, pigs feet with lots of hot sauce and vinegar that he loved his sister Marline to cook, potato salad and his all time favorite dessert, pecan pie. You can take a man from the country, but you can’t take the country out of the man. Johnny joined in Holy Matrimony to Teresha Lindsey on September 29, 2001, to this union one daughter, Olivia whom he loved dearly, was born. Johnny would always refer to her as his butterfly and sunflower. Olivia was truly a daddy’s girl. He had one son, JuJuan Lambert, who was just as much a daddy’s boy and Olivia was a daddy’s girl. He had a dog, J.J., who he referred to as his best friend. J.J. had been a part of Johnny’s life for twelve years. Whenever Johnny would come home to Virginia, you best believe J.J. was right beside him on the passenger side. Johnny is preceded in death by his father, Lewis A. Hardy; brother, Robert Hardy; grandparents, Robert & Lucy Bell, Ethel Astrop and Tom Hardy. He leaves to cherish his memory: his mother, Christine Hardy; his wife of 19 years, Teresha; daughters, Olivia, Towanda and Keisha; son, JuJuan (Shalana); siblings, Howard (Veronica) Hardy, Willie Hardy, Doris (George) Blackwell, Marline (Timothy) Ingram, Phyllis (Eugene) Feggins; aunts, Susan Bell, Dorothy Bell and Pattie Miller; grandchildren, Christian, Jaiden, Ayanna, Heaven, Jahmal and Aliyah; sisters-in-law, Lillian (Marvin) Bell, Shelia (Washington) Bennette, Sandra (Dedrick) Shipman and Jeanette Webb; brothers-in-law, Willie, Brooks and Joseph Lindsey; mother-in-law, Edith Woodley; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Services were held Saturday, October 31.