Pinson A. Hardin

Greenville, Mississippi, died Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at UnityPoint – Health in Pekin.

He was born June 10, 1961 in Leland, Mississippi. He graduated from Greenville High School in Greenville, Mississippi in 1979. He was a loving father, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend to many.

The most important aspect of Bubba’s life was his two boys. He loved them with all his heart and always saw to it they had all they needed. Bubba began his lifelong salesman career working for Sysco in Mississippi in 1986. He moved to Illinois and changed companies a few times before a recent move to Greco and Sons, another food and equipment vendor. He was a hardworking and loyal employee. He won many vacations and awards through the years as a result of his outstanding salesmanship. He loved to wheel and deal and that’s what made him very successful at his job!

He was an avid hunter and loved a good checker board game! He was taught how to play checkers at a very young age by his father. He grew to love the game and quickly became known as “The Checker King”. For months, he designed and built his very own custom made beautiful wooden checker board. He carried on the tradition by teaching his son, Zac how to play at a very young age as well. It gave him great joy to watch Zac compete in the annual family Checkerboard Tournaments and walk away with the trophy every single time using the board he built all those years ago.

Bubba loved to cook and entertain his family and friends. He would always go the extra mile to make sure the food presentation was “on-point”. Johnathon grew up watching his dad and developed a passion himself for cooking and making sure the presentation was “on-point”. Bubba was very proud of his master chef, Johnathon.

Bubba was one of the most generous and selfless people you would ever meet. He never met a stranger and would give the “shirt off his back” to help anyone. One time he did just that; someone complimented his shirt and he quickly stood up, took it off, and handed it to him.

He could always be found with a smile, a joke to share and a hand and heart to help anyone in need. He never accepted defeat or the words “it’s not possible”. As one of his dear friends said “the world was a much better place with Bubba in it”.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carroll Ray Hardin, Sr., Ethel Lorraine McDaniel Hardin and his stepmother, Frances Hargrave Hardin.

He is survived by his two sons, Johnathon Hardin of Peoria, IL and Zachary Hardin of Port Byron; two brothers, Carroll Ray Hardin, Jr. and James (Shorty) Hardin, both of Greenville, Mississippi; one sister, Beth (Hardin) Brown of Burleson, Texas; his beloved nephews, Peyton and Garret Brown of Burleson, Texas, Owen and Evan Hardin of Greenville, Mississippi, Brance (Hayley) Martin of Weatherford, Texas, and nieces Raegin, Hailey, and Alexis Hardin of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

A gathering celebrating Bubba’s life will be held at a later date in Illinois and in Mississippi.

Memorials may be made to something near and dear to Bubba’s heart. Zac is currently a freshman at the Florida Institute of Technology studying a double major in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. This was Zac’s dream and Bubba worked very hard to make sure that Zac was able to go. A GoFundMe account (https://www.gofundme.com/f/nk2kx-zacs-college-fund) for Zac’s College Fund has been set up since Bubba can no longer take care of these expenses for him.