Harlan Eberhardt Jr. came into this world on December 9, 1958. He was born in Cleveland, OH to Harlan and Mary Eberhardt. When he was a child, his father’s mother, Grandma Bessie, affectionately nicknamed him “Buffy (Buff)” because of his infectious smile.

Buff attended St. Peter Chanel High School as well as John F. Kennedy High School. He was an avid baseball player. Throughout middle school and high school, he played in a baseball league known as “B-Buzz Baseball.” And it was here where he made a host of lifelong friendships, which existed until his death. At JFK High School, he played on the varsity baseball team as a shortstop. He had plans to play college baseball, however a wrist injury halted those plans.

Buff attended Kent State University for Architecture and Design. He fell in love with painting. And he produced many pieces of beautiful artwork throughout his life. He loved sharing his artistic gifts with the world. He was also very intellectual and deep rooted in his faith. He memorized and understood the Bible inside out. In fact, a simple question asked of him often led to a two-hour Bible lesson. He could easily walk you through the Bible – from Genesis to Revelation – giving fully animated and compelling explanations. He knew how to hold your attention. He loved to engage in philosophical conversations for hours and could explain the history of just about anything.

He enjoyed gardening. Every summer he grew a beautiful garden which had a variety of fruits and vegetables that he would share with family and friends. On any given Sunday, you would find Buff in the backyard grilling, his famous Eberhardt Sauce slowly simmering in the kitchen. He would later turn on the television, sit back, and watch the Browns lose again. But he was a man of faith. Every year, you would hear him say, “They will make it next year.”

Over the course of his life, Harlan worked for several architectural firms, from Madison International (the first Black-owned architectural firm in the Midwest) to Whitley and Whitley. Later, he started his own firm, Tribe Architects and Village Planners, partnering with his friend Daryl Mapson. During his career, Harlan planned and developed structures across Northeast Ohio. He worked on the Terminal Tower rehabilitation project in downtown Cleveland, the Cleveland State Convocation Center, as well as Vels on the Circle. He designed numerous churches, daycare centers, store fronts, restaurants, and apartment buildings. For over 40 years, he served as God’s Architect – completing thousands of projects over that time frame.

He leaves to cherish and revere his memory: a loving wife, Charvene Eberhardt; two daughters, Sherita Black (Dewey) and Tanisha Holt (Curtis) of Cleveland, Ohio; two sons, Nathanael Eberhardt of Cleveland, Ohio and Terrence Miller (Antoinette) of Tomball, Texas; one brother, Justin Eberhardt of Cleveland, Ohio; two sisters, Stephanie Rice (Sheldon) of Chicago, Illinois and Jennifer Eberhardt (Rick Banks) of Stanford, California; as well as a host of grandchildren, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and loving friends.