05/30/2026
Dr. Joseph Ellsworth “Joe” Hardison died on May 15, 2026 in Stone Mountain, Georgia at the age of 90. Joe was born May 29, 1935 in Asheville, North Carolina to Hubert Ellsworth and Mary Virginia (Beale) Hardison. He spent his earliest years in Black Mountain with his parents before moving to Raleigh where his family welcomed his younger sister Nancy. Joe spoke often of his early years in North Carolina, recalling everything from day-to-day memories such as the family outhouse freezing during winter, to major historical events such as hearing the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio. The Hardisons later moved to Smyrna, outside of Atlanta, where Joe graduated from the newly opened Campbell High School in 1952. Joe’s extracurricular activities in high school, paired with his other hobbies outside of school, were an early indication that he would be a lifelong jack of all trades. At school, Joe was a member of the Glee Club, a pitcher on the baseball team, and president of his senior class. He also participated in Campbell’s senior play, and remembered even 70 years later that he messed up his lines. Outside of school, Joe was an avid reader, an animal lover, and a cane pole fisherman.
Joe attended West Georgia College (now University of West Georgia) for his associates degree. Joe spoke at the commencement ceremony where Dr. Jake Ward, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University, was in attendance. Dr. Ward was impressed with Joe and invited him to attend Emory to complete his bachelor’s degree in biology and then attend medical school, and Joe graciously accepted. Joe received his biology degree in 1956 and his medical degree in 1960, and then stayed at Emory to complete his medical residency in the Emory/VA Hospital program. In 1966, Joe was appointed Chief of Medicine at the Atlanta VA Hospital. For more reflection on Joe’s professional career, read this writeup from Emory’s Chair of the Department of Medicine, Dr. Carlos del Rio.
It was also during Joe’s residency that he met his beloved wife and soulmate, Rebecca “Becky” Hatcher. They met at a hospital Christmas party that Becky attended with her mother, a nurse. Joe asked permission to give Becky a ride home, and the rest was history. When Joe had to travel to Norway to serve as a medic in the US Air Force, Becky joined the US Foreign Service as an excuse to follow him to Europe. They returned to the US married in the fall of 1963. Soon thereafter they welcomed their first daughter, Virginia (Ginnie), followed by Cindy and finally Kimberley (Kim) in the years to come.
When not at work or spending time with his family, you could find Joe eating at Evan’s Fine Foods and Matthews Cafeteria, running the Peachtree Road Race, playing tennis and later golf, or wandering estate sales looking for treasures.
Throughout Joe’s life, none held a larger place in his heart than his family, which always included his beloved pets. Though he worked hard, he always had time for his children, grandchildren, and extended family. Perhaps the only thing he loved more than being Daddy, though, was being Da to his three grandchildren, Ellie, Augie, and David. Spending time with Joe meant that you were bound to learn something, whether it be about golf, animals, or how to diagnose a news broadcaster with a thyroid condition by looking at their throat while they spoke.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Becky, and his oldest daughter, Ginnie. He is survived by his sister Nancy Burroughs of Rock Hill, South Carolina, daughters Cindy and Kim (Mark Ahlfinger), and his three grandchildren, Ellie, Augie, and David McQuaig, all of Atlanta. He is also survived by many extended family members, and generations of doctors who continue to benefit from his decades of teaching.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Smoky Mountain Service Dogs.
