William Ennis Cameron

LANCASTER | William Ennis Cameron died Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005.

He was born in Lancaster, South Carolina on July 20, 1925, a son of the late William E. Cameron and Guy Skipper Cameron. He was predeceased by his wife, Catherine McLeod Cameron; and a brother, Charles Donald Cameron.

Mr. Cameron graduated from Georgia Military Academy and also spent two years of Junior College there. He attended N.C. State University and Louisiana State University. He graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in petroleum engineering. He was very active in student activities serving as President of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and Vice President of the student body. At nineteen years old, he went to infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga., for seventeen weeks and was commissioned in 1944. He was shipped overseas to serve in WWII with the 42nd Infantry Division. He was wounded after three months and received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He retired from the Army and moved to Myrtle Beach, where he met his wife Catherine while lifeguarding at the Ocean Forest Hotel.

He was very active in many volunteer youth programs in Myrtle Beach and known as a mentor to many young people and adults throughout his life. He was on the Board of Directors of the S.C. State Little League, President of the Pee Dee Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, and Vice President of the S.C. - N.C. AAU Swimming Association. He was selected as Myrtle Beach Young Man of the Year and ''Boss of the Year.'' He was also a pioneer in the golf industry of Myrtle Beach, being a catalyst behind the creation of the off-season golf business. He was also instrumental in forming the Myrtle Beach Trap and Skeet Club. He was a member of the Dunes Golf Club and the Pine Lakes Golf Club in Myrtle Beach. He served as Director of the S.C. State Chamber of Commerce, Director and President of the Grand Strand Chamber of Commerce, Director of the American Hotel Association, Director of the Coastal Corridor Commission, and member of the Governor's Management Review Commission.

He was general manager of the Patricia Inn for ten years. Then he developed and became general manager for the family owned Thurderbird Motor Inn in Myrtle Beach until 1972. He retired to Punta Gorda, Fla. where he was a consultant for the marine industry for the State of Florida as well as Director of Operations for Burnt Store Marina Complex. He was a member of the City of Punta Gorda Charter Review Commission, Chairman of the Building Committee for Burnt Store Presbyterian Church where he was an Elder.

He had a love for the outdoors, spending most of his life near the water. He had many hobbies including racing hydroplanes, go-carts, skeet shooting, raising quail, scuba diving, photography, swimming, fishing and hunting.

In 1998, he moved to Charleston to be closer to his family and was a member of James Island Presbyterian Church.

He was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather and was a great role model to his three daughters and everyone he touched. He was known for his contagious smile.

He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Catherine (Robert D.) McLoud of Seabrook Island, Chris (Harold W.) Noland of Charleston and Connie (E. Mac) Leppard of Columbia; a sister, Carol C. Simpson of Chapin. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Amy Hammitt, Stefanie Noland, McIver Leppard, Cameron Leppard, Will Cooper, and John Noland and one great-grandson, Kipling Hammitt.

The relatives and friends are invited to attend his memorial service at James Island Presbyterian Church, Sunday afternoon, Oct. 30, 2005 at 1 p.m. Committal services will be conducted at a later date in the churchyard.

A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenry stuhr.com or at MyrtleBeach Online.com.

Memorials are requested to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814 and the James Island Presbyterian Church, 1632 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412. Our thanks to the staff at the Bishop Gadsden for all of their love and care.

Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., Downtown Chapel.