Thorpe Asbury 'Bubber' Huntington, Jr., 77, of Hazlehurst, quietly passed away on Friday, December 11, 2009 at home with his wife and children by his side. Visitation will be 5-8pm Sunday at Stringer Family Funeral Home in Hazlehurst. Services will be 11am Monday at First Presbyterian Church in Hazlehurst.
Mr. Huntington was born in Hazlehurst on October 4, 1932 to the late Thorpe A. and Frances H. Huntington. He was a lifelong resident of Copiah County having lived at various times in Hazlehurst, Crystal Springs and the Martinsville community where he resided at Dixie Gardens at the time of his passing.
Mr. Huntington graduated with honors from Hazlehurst High School. He belonged to the 4-H Club and the Boy Scouts of America, in which he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. In high school, he lettered several years in football at left guard, and baseball at shortstop. The American Legion Baseball team on which he played, coached by the late Marshall Nesbit, Jr., went to the State playoffs. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and Mississippi State University, where he graduated with a degree in business administration.
Mr. Huntington began his career in Crystal Springs by working at the Crystal Springs Lumber Company which his father had once owned and his aunt, the late Nell C. Huntington, then owned. After her death, he moved back to Hazlehurst and opened Huntington Lumber & Supply Company on the south end of Extension Street. After a few years, he moved the company to a new building at 124 West Whitworth Street where it is still operated by his sons.
Mr. Huntington served for 37 years on the Board of Directors of the Copiah Bank, N.A. He operated a cattle business at Dixie Gardens, having started with a small herd while he was still a teenager. Dixie Gardens is a landmark on Interstate 55 south of Hazlehurst known to many by its red barn with a rainbow painted on its side. He had other land and timber interests, but he considered himself first and foremost a builder. He learned building as a teenager when he worked as a carpenter under Bror and Helmut Carlson, two highly regarded craftsmen who had immigrated from Scandinavia.
During his business career, he supervised the building of hundreds of houses and developed a number of subdivisions. As a general contractor, he supervised numerous projects in Copiah County, including a large addition to the Pine Crest Guest Home, a 1970's renovation to the Copiah County Courthouse, an addition to the Covington Memorial Library, the construction of five branch banks and a renovation to the main branch for Copiah Bank, N.A., and projects for the Copiah County Schools and local churches.
As a developer, he was most proud of his work along the Highway 28 commercial corridor in Hazlehurst. For the pure joy of swinging a hammer, he personally built a large gazebo beside his home at Dixie Gardens.
A lifelong sportsman, Mr. Huntington loved fishing; hunting quail, deer, and, especially, turkey; and raising his much beloved bird dogs. An excellent tennis player with a distinctive serve, he was a fierce competitor on the court. Mr. Huntington was especially proud of his children and grandchildren and encouraged them to excel in their academic and other endeavors. Mr. Huntington was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Hazlehurst.
He is survived by his wife, Renate Huntington; three children, David T. Huntington (Kim) of Hazlehurst, Jenny H. Branston (John) of Memphis, TN, John W. Huntington of Jackson; and their mother, Janice S. Huntington of Madison, and four grandchildren. He also leaves a sister, Mary Frances McKey of Clinton; a brother William H. Huntington of Memphis; three nieces; a nephew; and a number of cousins on his mother's side, the Hamiltons of Wesson.
He was preceded in death by his second wife Karen Dubose of Georgetown.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Hazlehurst or the
Alzheimer's Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601
Published by Clarion Ledger on Dec. 13, 2009.