Just Dad…

By Laurel Schlegel

William Theopolis Hardy

February 7, 1927-October 18, 1983

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William Theopolis Hardy was born on February 11, 1927 in Jackson, Tennessee.[1] As African Americans, William and his mother lived in a small house in a segregated portion of the city. His father was never in his life, but his mother worked hard as a domestic worker to support the family.[2] William faced constant discrimination and challenges in his life and was often told that he would not be able to make much of himself because of his skin color. William did not let this stop him from leading a happy and successful life however and from creating that very same life for his own family as a loving and devoted father. 

William attended high school in Jackson, graduating in 1945. He then went on to attend Lane College. Lane is a historically black college within Jackson.[3] William made the most out of his time at Lane College, including joining the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha.[4] As a black fraternity, the group focused on building strong men and setting the students of Lane up for a successful life as well as focusing on community engagement.[5]

In his last year at Lane College, one of William’s professors advised him that regardless of a college degree he would still be limited in life as a result of his skin color. He was informed that the large majority of black students that graduated from Lane returned to their hometowns and became school teachers due to a lack of opportunity and discrimination in employment.[6] He was also told some students might not get a job at all and would remain unemployed for the rest of their lives. From that day on, William became determined to break the mold and not let his life be limited in this way. Despite having the needed credit hours, William left Lane College prior to graduating and joined the military, searching for a way out of Jackson and hoping it would allow him to build a better life for himself than the one that was predestined for him in Jackson- and that it did. [7]

William enlisted in the military on January 19, 1946, joining the newest of the military branches, the Air Force.[8] The Air Force was segregated during World War II, and opportunities for advancement were very limited for people of Color. William served as a supply sergeant and was responsible for keeping the motor pool up and running.[9] He was very skilled at this job and received many letters of commendation for his efficiency and effort.[10]

Throughout his time in the service, William served in not one but three wars. After serving in World War II, William returned home to Tennessee to be with his family. While at home his aunt who was working as a teacher at the time introduced him to her friend. They fell in love and in 1958 the two got married. William stayed in the Air Force after World War II and went on to serve in the Korean War as well as three tours in Vietnam.[11]

Lowry Air Force Base [22]

Throughout his time in service, William was able to travel the world and live in many new areas including Kentucky, Iceland, Pakistan, and Florida among others. While living in Salt Lake City in 1961 he and his wife had their first child, a son named William. In 1965, they had a daughter named Angela. [12]They were living in Plattsburgh, New York at the time. He was last stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver and after retiring in 1970 at the age of 43, the family decided to remain in Denver.[13] William achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.

William maintained his connections at Lowry Air Force Base and the military remained a large part of his life. While in Denver, his family too became a part of the community at Lowry Air Force Base. They would often eat at the restaurant there, shop at the commissary and even bowl there together. He worked for 7/11 as well as for the trucking company Tempte during this time.[14]

William was as devoted to the community as he was to his family. He was very involved in the local Optimist Club which focuses on organizing community service events. Lane University also had an active alumni association in Denver, which William remained very involved in.

His service in the military not only shaped how William carried himself but shaped the way he raised his family as well. His daughter remembers that he “demanded without saying so and commanded without saying so that he deserved a certain level of respect and certain behaviors.”[15] He was particular about timeliness, cleanliness, and orderliness. She joked that they always had a dishwasher growing up, but they never got to use it. They washed dishes by hand.[16]

William never raised his voice but “he spoke with authority.” He was well respected and the sense of responsibility that he felt while serving in the military certainly carried over to the wat he cared for his family. William loved to fish, play poker with friends, bowl and be with his family.[17]

Unfortunately, William died only thirteen years after his retirement from the military at the age of 56.[18] He passed away due to heart complications. His daughter was just 18 and his son was 22.[19] He was successfully building a life and a family in Denver. He had found meaning and purpose for his life outside of Jackson Tennessee, the very reason his journey began in the first place. William is buried at Fort Logan National cemetery.

William’s family remembers him as full of life and with an unforgettable laugh, saying “when he laughed, he laughed hard and he laughed loud.” One of his daughters’ favorite things about her dad was that he was always so proud of his children's achievements no matter how silly or insignificant they may have seemed. One instance she remembered specifically was that he taught her to play poker and he often played it with friends. Angela had always wanted to play and, the one time that they had allowed her to, she ended up winning several hands. William was so proud of her and loved seeing how well he had taught her. She remembered, “he was as kind as he was strict.”[20] Even when William was angry with his family, Angela remembers that no matter how angry her father was at the dumb stuff they would do as children, she never felt unloved. “He was just dad.” When asked what Angela would want people to know about her father, she simply stated, “he was just a good dude, he was loyal to his family, to his friends, and to any commitment he made.” [21]

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Footnotes ↓

[1] “U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2019” database, Ancesty.com, (accessed August 2020) entry for William T. Hardy.

[2] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado August 3, 2020, DU VLP.

[3] Lane College, “About,” https://www.lanecollege.edu/about.

[4] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[5] Alpha Phi Alpha, “About Alpha,” https://apa1906.net/.

[6] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[7] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[8] “U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2019”

[9] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[13] “U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2019.”

[14] Angela Evans, interview by Laurel Schlegel.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Lowry AFB CO Yearbook 1970

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