Hershel Clady was born in Memphis, Tennessee on August 20, 1941, to Jacob Clady, Sr. and Elmelia (McGuire) Clady. He was the sixth of eleven children (Blondale, LaVerne, Jacob, Jr., Charlotte, June, Marshall, Marvin, William “Billy”, Jadene and Cathy).
The family relocated to San Diego in 1957 and later united with Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Hershel graduated from San Diego High School in 1959 and joined the Air Force in 1961. In 1963, Hershel married his high school sweetheart, Bernice Cowan. They had two daughters, Chandra and Cassandra. After completing his military commitment, Hershel relocated his family to Los Angeles, California and took a job at the United Parcel Service (UPS) as a delivery driver.
Hershel began his career with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) as a firefighter in November, 1969. He was one of less than ten African-American firefighters ever hired by the department. He rose up in ranks by becoming the first African-American firefighter promoted to Engineer in the LACFD, the first African-American Captain, and in 1987, he was promoted to Battalion Chief. In February 1993, he was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief where he managed and supervised the second largest division of the LACFD. He was a role model to many in the fire service arena. He spent most of his career fighting for equal rights for minorities and women. He fought harassment, racial bias and discrimination all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. His lawsuit resulted in the LACFD entering into a constant decree requiring major changes in the firefighting recruitment classes.
Throughout his career, Chief Clady has been recognized with many awards and commendations for his outstanding service and leadership. He was so well known nationally that in 1992, President George Bush required that he be present at the fire station that he was visiting. Their pictures together revealed serious conversations, laughter and handshaking.
In 1976, Hershel met and married Sandy Tangalin. They had a son, Hershel II. Hershel believed in partnership and didn’t give up on finding his forever. In 1999, he married Linda Johnson and dutifully supported and cared for Linda until her transition in July, 2018. In 2021, Hershel married Deborah (Dee) Gordon.
Hershel passed on January 22, 2023. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Blondale and brother Jacob, Jr..
