Born in Lafayette, Alabama, he was the son of the late David Archibald and Mary Alice Tankersly Hardegree. He was the husband of Elizabeth &uot;Miss Beth&uot; Sabin Hardegree and was first married to the late Martha Tate Hardegree. He was a retired division president of Avondale Mills and CFO and chairman of the board of directors of Emily Ray Jewelry. He was a master gardener and taught master gardener classes for many years, a writer of &dquo;Carolina Corners,&dquo; a gardening column, and book reviews with the Spartanburg Herald Journal, and recently published a collection of short stories named &dquo;The Legacy.&dquo;

Surviving in addition to his wife are two daughters, Betsy Hardegree Smith of Rock Hill, and Emily Hardegree Ray of Spartanburg; three sons, Mike Hardegree of Tryon, David Hardegree of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Matt Hardegree and his wife Toni of Sylacauga, Ala.; ten grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Patricia Hardegree Short of Alexander City, Ala. He was predeceased by a brother, Dwayne Hardegree.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at Floyd&39;s Greenlawn Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to SRMC Hospice Special Needs Fund, 120 Heywood Avenue, Suite 300, Spartanburg, S.C. 29302; to the Cancer Association of Spartan-burg and Cherokee counties, 295 East Main Street, Suite 100, Spartanburg, S.C. 29302; or to the Spartanburg Humane Society, 150 Dexter Road, Spartan-burg, S.C. 29303.

The family is at the home.

An online guest register is available for signing at www.floydmortuary.com.

Floyd&39;s Greenlawn Chapel of Spartanburg is in charge of arrangements.