Larry Jerome Hardy passed away on April 29, 2023. He was born November 6, 1946, in Columbus, MS to the late Reverend Banks Wilson Hardy and Dorothy Taylor Hardy. His parents instilled in him the values of kindness, humility, honesty, and loyalty. He was a loving and devoted father, a true gentleman and a faithful friend.

Larry graduated from SD Lee High School in Columbus in 1964. He then earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, at the University of Mississippi. After graduation in 1969, he joined Ernst & Ernst Memphis office. Larry was noted for his leadership and outstanding client service, becoming a tax partner in 1983.

In 2000, at his retirement from E&Y , one of his clients, AutoZone asked him to lead their tax department. Larry served as AutoZone’s Vice President of Tax for 6 years, retiring in 2006.

As a devoted Ole Miss alumnus , Larry wanted to make a positive impact on his alma mater and the accounting community. He served on the University of Mississippi Accountancy School Advisory Board, and as President of the university’s Accountancy Chapter Board of Directors and as ex-officio of the Ole Miss Alumni Association Board of Directors. He was inducted into the Patterson School of Accountancy Hall of Fame. In recognition of his service and gifts to the university, the Larry J Hardy Dean’s Suite Conference Room will be built in the new Accountancy Building soon to be under construction on the Ole Miss campus.

Larry’s generosity and desire to give to his community benefited so many. He served on the boards of the Memphis Orchestral Society, Ballet Memphis, Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Memphis, the Mid South Food Bank and the American Cancer Society. He was a member of the Phoenix Club and a proud Rotarian for 37 years. Larry’s sense of faith lead him to serve as Deacon and Ruling Elder at Idlewild Presbyterian Church and an affiliate member of Moorings Presbyterian Church in Naples, Fl.

The funeral service will be held Friday, May 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 1750 Union Avenue in Memphis. A reception will follow the service in T.K. Young Hall at Idlewild. Internment will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 2 p.m., Mount Vernon Baptist Cemetery, 200 Mt. Vernon Road, Columbus, next to Larry’s parents and infant sister, Sandra Lynn.

Larry is survived by his only son John (Kea) of Memphis, Tennessee and their children, Jessica and Jordan Haynes. He is also survived by his lifelong friend, Donna Dukes Wade of Oxford, Mississippi and his former wife, Margaret Taylor Hardy of Cordova.

Memorials may be sent to the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra or the charity of your choice.