Frankie Hardaway, 88, of Philadelphia, SEPTA’s first female train operator, business owner, expert seamstress, and neighborhood mentor, died Thursday, Nov. 10, of pancreatic cancer at her home in East Oak Lane.
Before SEPTA, Mrs. Hardaway operated a dry cleaning business with her husband, worked in data entry for the Internal Revenue Service, and excelled as a seamstress. She was so skilled as a clothier that she made garments for herself, family, friends, and anyone who needed them. Her son, Brian, said: “She always made you feel welcome. She had a passion for helping people.”
She married Lucius Hardaway in 1956, and they had sons Eric, Kevin, and Brian, and lived in West Oak Lane. She and her husband divorced later. He and their son Kevin died earlier. She liked to attend Broadway shows, amble around amusement parks, and lounge at the beach. She and her son Brian traveled often, and, driven to meet new people and see new places, she sometimes took off on her own, leaving him to wonder where she was.