The Post-Journal

Sheridan 'Shirt' Hardenburg

Sheridan 'Shirt' Hardenburg, 89, of 162 Euclid Ave., died at 5:30 p.m. Monday (March 1, 1999) in Heritage Green Health Care Center.

A lifelong area resident, he was born May 10, 1909, in Chautauqua, the son of Fay and Lillian Hintz Hardenburg.

He was a 1929 graduate of Chautauqua Central High School, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball and was voted All-Star Forward in 1929, three-year letterman in track, two-year letterman in tennis and a three-year letterman in baseball. His last two years, he was named the school's Outstanding Athlete. In 1933, he graduated from LaCrosse State Teachers College in LaCrosse, Wis., where he lettered for two years in football, three years in basketball and captained the basketball team in his senior year. He also played on the tennis and soccer teams. He receive a graduate fellowhip to Syracuse University in 1933. In 1942, he received a master's degree from St. Bonaventure University.

He was employed by Jamestown Public Schools from 1935 to 1960. He was physical education instructor at Lincoln Junior High and coached all sports, winning many championships. He served as guidance counselor at Jefferson Junior High, principal of Fletcher Elementary School and later principal of Lincoln Junior High.

He was a waterfront director for Chautauqua Boys and Girls Clubs for 18 summers, had instructed for the New York Summer School Program in physical education and recreation and had taught boating and water safety for the Red Cross at Chautauqua.

He officiated football and basketball from 19344 to 1959, was president of the Chautauqua County Basketball Officials Association for eight years, officiated basketball, Section 6 playoff games in Buffalo for 10 years and was chairman of the Chautauqua County Men's Annual Golf Tournaments fo eight years.

He was a member of the Jamestown Board of Education from 1934-59, past treasurer of the Jamestown PTA, city and county chairman for the March of Dimes drives for two years, United Fund chairman for public schools for five years, past president of the Turner Athletic Club, Optimist Club, past director of the Moonbrook country Club for three years and handicap chairman for eight years.

In 1984, he was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, where he served as vice president and director, He also served as curator of the Sports Hall of Fame Museum for many years.

He had been inducted into the Kappa Delta Phi and Phi Epsilon Kappa, honorary physical education societies.

He was a member of the Moose, Elks, Lakewood Rod and Gun Club, the national and local chapters of the American Association of Retired Persons.

Surviving are his wife, the former Dorothy Rynalski, whom in married April 8, 1939, in Fredonia; two daughters: Linda Mattison of Wooster, Ohio and Sally Hardenburg of Williamsville; six grandchildren: Michael Mattison of Amherst, Mass., Stephen Mattison of Wooster, Katherine Kates and Kristen Mattison, both of Colorado Springs, Colo., Edgar and Charles Hardenburg both of Williamsville.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Kenneth Hardenburg; and a sister, Marjorie Bongiorno.

No funeral will be held.

Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Falconer Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Sheridan Hardenburg Scholarship Fund, in care of the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation, 21 E. Third St., Suite 301, Jamestown, N.Y., 14701.


The additional financial assistance of the community is critical to the success of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
We gratefully acknowledge these individuals and organizations for their generous support.