Louis Carey Hite, Jr. ’41

Louis Carey Hite, Jr. ’41, a true Christian and Southern gentleman, died February 26, 2007. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1946, and was honorably discharged as a major. Mr. Hite was president of Hite Co., food distributors, from 1946 until 1970 when this company merged with Thomas and Howard Co. He was vice-president and manager of their Florence Division until his retirement in 1985. He continued as a director of Thomas and Howard Co. of Columbia, Newberry, and Spartanburg. He was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church of Florence. He served on the church council, taught adult Sunday school for a number of years and was a member of the church choir for over fifty years. He was a charter member of the Florence Symphony Orchestra and served as its first president. He was past president of the Florence Rotary Club and the Florence Country Club. He served as past chairman of the Florence County Republican Party, past director of the Guaranty Bank of Florence and on the advisory board of the South Carolina Federal Bank. He also served on boards of the Pee Dee Area Boy Scouts, Florence Chamber of Commerce and the Florence City Election Commission. Survivors include his wife of sixty-four years, Gladys Johnston Hite of Harlingen, Texas; three sons, Dr. Louis Carey Hite III ’69, 410 Clearview Dr., Columbia, S.C. 29212-8310; Dr. Arnold Hite of Charleston, and Peter Hite of Greenville; three daughters, Kathy Hite-James of Palm Desert, Calif., Sally Hite Watson of Florence, and Kissy Hite Merrifield of Advance, N.C.; five grandsons, Arnold Hite Jr., Carey Hite IV, Whitley Merrifield, Pierson Hite and Hite Merrifield; four granddaughters, Allison Hite, Melissa Hite, Costner Merrifield, and Talley Hite.