When Kenneth Hordge opened his barbecue spot in 2010, near the intersection of Fairburn and Campbellton roads, there was only one thing he could think to name it: Jabbo’s BBQ.
After all, he got his skills and secret sauce recipe from his father, so it made sense to name the place after him.
Ultimately, both Hordge’s father and Hordge himself came to be known as Jabbo by neighbors and friends.
“That’s all they called his dad, and that’s what they called him,” said Zannobia Hordge, Kenneth Hordge’s wife of almost 36 years. “And they called me Mrs. Jabbo, and her Little Jabbo,” she said referring to their daughter.
“He wanted to do what his dad did,” added cousin Cynthia Anderson of Jonesboro. “And though his father was an educator, he cooked on the side.”
The place was Hordge’s dream, and he opened it on a prayer after spending more than 20 years as an HVAC technician, his wife said. Hordge asked his wife for a little time to get the place on its feet, but promised that he’d go back to working for someone else if his plan didn’t work out. Two years later, things had more than worked out and there was no turning back. He was even exploring ways to bring in more business, said his daughter, Kenya Hordge of Atlanta.
Kenneth Hordge of Atlanta died Nov. 23 from injuries suffered in a car accident. He was 56. A funeral service is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Ben Hill United Methodist Church. Young Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., Hordge briefly attended junior college before enlisting in the Marine Corps. While in the military he served as a lifeguard, which suited him perfectly because he loved swimming, family members said.
He brought his family to Atlanta in the 1980s so he could take a job with Lockheed as an aircraft mechanic. After a few years, he decided to change careers and go into HVAC repair, his wife said. He went to school, where he graduated at the top of his class, to learn his chosen craft. Approximately 20 years later, with the economy in a downward spiral, Hordge was laid off in 2009. Instead of looking for another job, he decided to create his own, his wife said.
“He started scouting out locations, looking for somewhere with good traffic,” she said. “But he had to put it all on hold when his father got sick.”
Hordge moved to Florida for several months in 2009 to care for his father, who died later that year. He returned to Atlanta with a renewed sense of purpose, determined to make his dream work. He found a former barbecue spot not far from the home he shared with his wife, where he decided to set up shop. By Memorial Day 2010, he was ready to open.
“I didn’t cook around the house,” Zannobia Hordge said. “It wasn’t because I couldn’t, it was because I didn’t have to. He just loved to cook, and he finally got to do it in his own place.”
No decisions have been made about the future of Jabbo’s BBQ, but the Hordge women are quick to say nobody could do barbecue like Kenneth Hordge.
“We’ll figure it out,” his daughter said.
In addition to his wife, daughter and cousin, survivors include his mother, Eloise T. Hordge of Pensacola.
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