Hurdle Haywood Lea Jr.

1936 - 2017

Hurdle Haywood Lea, Jr.

Greenville

Hurdle Haywood Lea, Jr., 80, of Greenville, SC died at home on Sunday, September 3, 2017 with his children at his side after a brief illness.

Born on October 26, 1936, Hurdle was the eldest of three sons of Mildred Johnston Lea and Hurdle Haywood Lea, Sr.

Hurdle was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Frances "Chicken" Lea in June of 2016. Chicken and Hurdle enjoyed a unique compatibility. Few who knew them could fathom one without the other. Hurdle is no doubt relieved to be reunited with her in perpetuity.

Hurdle received a BS in Textile Engineering from NC State and a MBA from the UNC School of Business. Hurdle enjoyed a long and successful career in the cotton and textile industry. He began his career at Fieldcrest Mills where he was named the youngest Vice President in the history of the firm. He later joined Dunavant Enterprises as President of their Eastern operations. He left Dunavant to serve as Executive Vice President of Cannon Mills and in 1986 founded Eastern Trading Company which quickly grew to become a major player in the US cotton industry with offices across the cotton belt. Hurdle was President of The American Cotton Shippers Association, the Atlantic Cotton Association and the Greenville Cotton Exchange. He held seats on the New York Cotton Exchange and was a long time board member there.

An avid art collector, Hurdle supported numerous initiatives in the visual arts. He's been a major donor to the Greenville County Museum of the Art, the Metropolitan Arts Council, (MAC), Artisphere and the South Carolina School for the Arts and Humanities. In 2016 he was awarded the MAC award for Lifelong Support of the Arts. A proponent of quality education for all, Hurdle has endowed generous scholarships at NC State University, the University of North Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Hurdle was a voracious reader with an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a sincere interest in others. He was possessed of a formidable intellect, yet always managed to keep an open mind and was ever willing to listen to the opinions of others. Hurdle had a deep affection for many things, including African American art, the New York Times, 100% cotton, dogs, home-grown tomatoes, Vidalia onions, history, Tito's vodka, archeology, bars, NPR, immigrants, Garrison Keillor, and jazz. He didn't like pretension, Fox News, diets, water - tap or bottled, losing to Chicken at backgammon, loud-mouths or lifestyle lectures from his kids. Hurdle and Chicken's love of food and drink led them to open Smoke on the Water in downtown Greenville in 2005. The staff and clientele from Smoke became an extended family for Chicken and Hurdle. Through both word and deed Hurdle challenged all who knew him to live fully and love more. Quite simply, Hurdle made the world a better place. He will be sorely missed.

Hurdle is survived by his three children, Hurdle H. "Trip" Lea III and his wife Boni of Willemstad, Curaçao, Karen Lea McBryde and her husband J.P of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, T. Jordan Lea and his wife Cathy of Greenville, South Carolina; his brothers Michael and Richard Lea; his six grandchildren, Hap and Jordan Lea; Lea, Rostan and Gillie McBryde; Thomas Lea; and niece Katharine Lea.

A visitation will be held Friday, September 8, 2017 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the residence of Cathy and Jordan, 208 McIver Street in Greenville. A celebration of Hurdle's life will be held Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in the Markley Chapel at Christ Church Episcopal.

Memorials may be made to the Metropolitan Arts Council, 16 Augusta Street, Greenville, SC, 29601, The Southern Environmental Law Center, 201 West Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902, and Open Arms Hospice, 1836 W. Georgia Road, Simpsonville, SC 29680.

Condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.thomasmcafee.com.

Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown