Elijah Hamilton Culpepper III

Family-Placed Death Notice

CULPEPPER, III, Elijah Elijah Hamilton Culpepper, III, a native of Cordele, GA and a long time resident of Athens, died Monday, July 20, 2009 after a long illness. A member of the Class of '62, University of Georgia, Culpepper also graduated from the University Law School in 1964. He served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia and then practiced law with the Athens firm of Fortson, Bentley and Griffin. He also was an officer of Clarke Federal Savings and Loan which became a part of the Fulton Federal network of savings and loan associations. With a plethora of business and professional affiliations, perhaps his greatest link with the Athens and Clarke County communities was that he was the first chairman of The Classic Center Authority which he worked tirelessly to bring to fruition. If there were a volunteer opportunity, benefiting Athens, Clarke County and the University of Georgia, E. H. was the first to line up for service. He was President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, the Athens Touchdown Club and the Athens Country Club. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army, Friends of State Parks and Historical Sites and the YWCO. He was a trustee of the Georgia Student Educational Fund. He was chairman of the Clarke County Civic Center Study Commission which planned and recommended the funding of The Classic Center by sales tax referendum. He was past president of the 316 Alliance Board of Directors and vice chairman of the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority, representing the 11th Congressional District. He was a member of the Athens Rotary Club and the Athens City Club. A past Chairman of the Northeast Georgia Surface and Air Transportation Commission, a 13 county authority created by the 1989 Georgia legislature whose purpose is to develop strategies for improved transportation infrastructure for the northeast Georgia region, Culpepper was chairman of the Georgia Heritage Association Center for the Arts at Tallulah Gorge State Park. He was a former chairman of the Northeast Georgia Roundtable, a 19 county economic development cooperative composed of Chamber of Commerce and business leaders in the northeast Georgia area. On a statewide level, he served as Chairman of the Transportation Committee and served as chair of the Tourism Committee of the Georgia Economic Development Association, the largest economic organization in state economic development efforts. A member of the AAA South Advisory Board, Culpepper was appointed by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism as aboard member of the Regional Advisory Council, and at the time of his death was serving as chairman of the Regional Advisor Council for Service for District 5. He was also the Chairman of the Georgia bioscience joint Development Authority, an authority created by Gwinnett, Barrow, Oconee and Clarke counties to develop the 316 corridor as a linear technology corridor. He died serving his community. Culpepper was a partner in E. H. & Eye Barbecue Catering, an Athens premier BBQ rib establishment. A member of the First United Methodist Church (also a member of the Tuck Bible Class) Culpepper is survived by his wife Kitty Bolton Culpepper; his daughter, Evelyn Culpepper Dukes and son-in-law David Dukes of Atlanta, his son John Hamilton Culpepper and his wife Katherine Coleman Culpepper and grandchildren Hamilton and Mimi Culpepper of Athens. He is also survived by his sisters Mildred Culpepper Lapeza of Cordele, GA and Miriam Culpepper Chipley of Nashville, TN. Memorial services will be 11AM Thursday, July 23rd, at the Athens First United Methodist Church with Dr. Chuck Hodges officiating. A luncheon will immediately follow the memorial service at the Classic Center. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Classis Center Cultural Endowment Fund, 300 Thomas Street, Athens, GA 30601. Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. http://www.bernsteinfuneralhome.com/.