Hardie Fortenberry

Graveside service is 2:00 p.m. Monday, October 18, 2010 in Rosston Cemetery. Family will receive friends 5-6 Sunday at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home.

Hardie was born April 11, 1922 in Leo, Texas to Ambrose Taylor and Eula Mae Willis Fortenberry. During World War II, he was in the United States Marines and Naval Reserves. While stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, he set the record for the military version of the decathlon, missing a perfect score by one point.

After military service, he played basketball at Texas Wesleyan College with other veterans and friends from Greenwood, Texas. Hardie was in the top twenty nationwide in scoring and led the team to a 30-4 record in the NAIA National tournament in 1947. He was inducted to the TWC Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.

While attending TWC, Hardie met Betty Rice. They married after graduation and moved to Peoria, Illinois, where he played basketball professionally for Caterpillar. He returned to Texas to coach, farm and raise a family. Hardie was a kind, generous man who loved a joke, loved to tell a good story and his family. He was loved by all who knew him.

Left behind to cherish his memory are two sons, Joe Ted Fortenberry of Decatur; Dale Hardie Fortenberry and wife, Vivian of Carrollton; two daughters, Lynne Butler and husband, Robert of North Richland Hills, Pamela Garrett of Hurst; two grandchildren, Monica Higdon and husband, Stephen of Crowley, Jimmy Carr of Austin; one great grandson, Simon Higdon of Crowley.

Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home 940/627-5959

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He was a great coach and teacher and will live on in the hearts of many students.

Theresa Dibben Hume
PO Box 1024,
Center, TX 75935

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