Austric James “Pete” Harwell

Austric James Harwell was born on September 11, 1938, in Mason, Tennessee, to the late William James and Lillian Harwell. No one is quite sure of the origin of his very unique name, and he became known by various nicknames throughout his life, including Boojack, Red, and Maxey, but most affectionately as Peter or Pete.

Mason is a small town about 35 miles northeast of Memphis, with a population of roughly 1,300. Pete grew up on a small farm there, which he called home, and where he worked as a sharecropper. It was there that he dreamed of one day spreading his wings and making a better life for himself. He received his education in Fayette County, where he graduated.

Pete accepted Christ at an early age. Later in life, he served as a Deacon at Harvest Missionary Baptist Church, a role he truly enjoyed.

Determined to find a better way, he moved North to Cleveland, as many Black Americans did at that time, and lived with his Aunt Lucy and Uncle King. There he met the love of his life, Willa Mae. They were married for 68 years, and their union was rounded out by their daughters, Brenda and Carla.

He saw the military as one way to further his dream and joined the Army, where he was recognized as a Sharpshooter, received a Good Conduct Medal, and was Honorably Discharged.

Pete was no stranger to hard work. At times he worked three jobs at once to provide for his family. He always understood the importance of education as a means of bettering oneself. He had developed a passion for cutting hair, which he started doing in the basement of his home, and he wanted to formalize his training. While working a full-time job at night, he enrolled in Erma Lee’s Beauty School during the day. At a time when Black barbers had very few options for formal schooling, Erma Lee’s was one of only a few Black barber schools in the state of Ohio and, at that time, the largest Black-owned beauty school in Ohio. To train there was a rare opportunity, and Pete seized it.

He was thrilled to be hired at Westvaco, a factory distributor of cardboard boxes, as an assembly worker, and he worked his way up to become its first Black supervisor before retiring in 1985. Meanwhile, he worked in barbershops owned by others, but he dreamed of one day owning his own. In 1975, that dream was realized with the opening of Harwell’s Barber Shop. He remained at that location until his retirement in 2020. By then, he had cut the hair of five generations.

His dedication to the community did not go unnoticed. In 2017, the City of Garfield Heights honored him with his own Pete Harwell Day. In 2022, the City recognized Harwell’s Barber Shop as the longest-standing Black-owned business in Garfield Heights, and the street corner of East 131^st Street and Rexwood was renamed “Pete Harwell Parkway.” In 2024, Lucas Funeral Home celebrated him as a businessman for Black History Month. He was thrilled and honored to know that his hard work and commitment had been recognized.

Because he worked so much, Pete never took much time for hobbies, but he did enjoy occasional trips to Buffalo, New York, to visit family.

After years of declining kidney function, Pete bravely began hemodialysis in April 2020, receiving his treatment at Centers for Dialysis Care Shaker. There he made many friends and developed a hidden talent for watercolor painting. He was so proud when one of his artworks was featured in the yearly calendar.

Pete was not a man of many words, but when he did speak, you listened.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William James and Lillian Harwell, and his sisters-in-law, Yvonne Bradford and Earlean Almond.

He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Willa Mae; daughters, Brenda Watson and Dr. Carla Harwell (Frederick Parks Jr.); granddaughters, Brooke Watson and Skylar Luke (Sebastien Pierre-Louis); great-grandson, Corey Watts Jr.; great-granddaughter, Genevieve Pierre-Louis; and sisters, Carrietta Harwell and Brenda Dunton of Detroit, Michigan. Pete also leaves cherished memories to a host of relatives, including aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as friends and his church community and barbershop community.