EIGHTY FOUR, Pa. — Joseph A. Hardy III, founder of 84 Lumber, Nemacolin resort and Hardy World, celebrates his 100th birthday on Jan. 7, 2023. In sharing his secret to longevity, Hardy says it's important "to stay contemporary and stay with the times as they continue to evolve. The basic principles don't change too much whenever you are dealing with human nature."
Born in 1923, in Upper St. Clair township, outside of Pittsburgh, Hardy graduated from high school in 1941, and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces serving as a lieutenant and Air Forces radioman during World War II. Following the war, he worked at his uncle's jewelry store, later graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, and opened Green Hills Lumber in Bridgeville, Pa.