Joseph A. Hardy III

Hardy served in World War II in the US Army Air Corps as a communications officer in the South Pacific. He earned a degree in industrial engineering at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering in 1948 and worked at his uncle's downtown Pittsburgh jewelry store before striking out into the building materials supply field at the age of 31. With his first wife (of 50 years), Dorothy Pierce, he had five children, the youngest of whom, Maggie, is now president of 84 Lumber. With his second wife, Debra Maley, he had two daughters, Taylor, and Paige. At the age of 85, Hardy married Kristin Georgi, a 22-year-old salon employee at Nemacoln Woodlands Resort. Having agreed to a pre-nuptial and wedding contract, the wedding took place on May 5, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. On August 20, 2007, Hardy filed for divorce, with the petition citing "irreconcilable differences". Hardy's fourth wife was 51-year old Rebecca Davis, whom he married in December 2009. On November 21, 2014, 91 year-old Hardy married Jodi Santella Williams. They had one son together, named JJ Alexander Hardy.

Hardy has served on the University of Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson College Board of Trustees.

Hardy was quoted as saying, "I want to die broke. For the remainder of my life, I want to enjoy and participate in the giving of money to help improve people's lives."

Hardy died on January 7, 2023, his 100th birthday.

Hardy announced on Sunday, September 9, 2007, at a tailgate party at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort that he was backing out of the 2007 general election for Fayette County commissioner, and thus ended his political career. Hardy finished first in vote-getting in the 2007 primary for Fayette County commissioner.