BEDFORD – The Bedford Revitalization Inc. Parade Committee proudly honors Johnny J. Fiddler as the Limestone Heritage Parade Grand Marshal.
Jay is married to Janet (Flinn) Fiddler, and they have three adult children. Jay was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1941. At two, he and his mother traveled on a Troop Train back to Bedford when his father was sent overseas in World War II. Jay grew up around the family business, Johnny’s Signs.
He began learning the business and the lost art of neon tube bending from his father at eight years old, after school and on weekends. At 18, he needed to take over the business and dropped out of school in his senior year, but he completed his degree through correspondence classes and graduated with his class in 1959.
Jay’s dedication to family and community influenced his decision to keep business within a 35-mile radius and not travel to larger cities because it took his time away from his beloved Bedford. He continued to be the figurehead of Johnny’s Signs until 2018.
Jay started his service to the community at 21 when he joined the Bedford Jaycees and later served as
president at 24. He was the catalyst for building “The Jaycee Club House,” one of the only three in Indiana.
When the Jaycees folded after five years, the money from the sale was donated to the Lawrence County Community Foundation. Jay served on the Bedford City Council for five years, on the board of the Bedford Boys Club, on the Board of Zoning and Appeals, and for 50 years on the City Planning Commission after being appointed by Mayor John C. Hauck.
His love for the Bedford community is evident through his many donations of flags and flagpoles to local organizations and the Wiley House, which currently serves the Lawrence County Art Museum.
He received the 2003 Community Service Award, to which he commented, “I am just doing what is right for Bedford and our County.”
Jay was a leader in the First Baptist Church of Bedford for 22 years after his baptism. He served on the Board of Trustees and Landscape Committee, assisted in the Children’s Church, and provided many donations to maintain the church grounds.
Jay also purchased the Bedford Drive-In Theater and developed the Broadview North Addition.
Jay has stayed active in the community since his retirement. He spends his time with family and friends, helping neighbors, and enjoying his classic car.
