Hugh Tarbutton

Hugh McMaster Tarbutton - SANDERSVILLE - Hugh McMaster Tarbutton, a life-long resident of Sandersville, Georgia, passed away on January 7, 2015. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 10th at 11:00 a.m. at the Sandersville United Methodist Church with the Reverend Dr. Joseph Buck IV officiating. Burial will be private. The Tarbutton family will receive friends on Friday, January 9th, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the May and Smith Funeral Home in Sandersville. Mr. Tarbutton was born in Sandersville on September 29, 1932, and was the son of the late Benjamin James Tarbutton and the late Rosa McMaster Tarbutton of Sandersville. Mr. Tarbutton is survived by his wife of 53 years, the former Loulie Eugenia Kernaghan of Macon, Georgia, their four children, Hugh M. Tarbutton, Jr. of Atlanta, Charles K. Tarbutton and his wife Helen, of Sandersville, Benjamin R. Tarbutton and his wife Jenifer, of Sandersville, and Loulie Tarbutton Reese and her husband Frank, of Atlanta, and their eight grandchildren, Mary Helen Tarbutton, Charlie Tarbutton, Bradley Tarbutton, Elizabeth Tarbutton, Jane Tarbutton, Hugh Rawlings Tarbutton, Frank Reese and Gena Reese. Mr. Tarbutton graduated from Sandersville High School in 1950 and attended Emory at Oxford College before receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University School of Business in 1955. While at Emory, Mr. Tarbutton was a member and served as President of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Mr. Tarbutton was a dedicated alumnus of Emory University and served as a life member of the Emory at Oxford advisory board. Mr. Tarbutton was instrumental in the funding of the Oxford Center of Performing Arts, which bears his name. He is also the recipient of the Goizueta School of Business Medal of Honor. In 2008 he received the Emory Medal, the highest alumni honor bestowed by Emory University. Mr. Tarbutton was also dedicated to Young Harris College and served on its board for 30 years. After graduation from Emory University, Mr. Tarbutton returned to Sandersville where for over 60 years he was employed by and served as President of The Sandersville Railroad Company. Mr. Tarbutton was also the co-founder and co-owner of B-H Transfer Company. In addition to his work in the transportation industry, Mr. Tarbutton was active in real estate development and timberland acquisition and management, developing, among other things, Kaolin Plaza Shopping Center, the first shopping center in Washington County. During his career, Mr. Tarbutton served on a number of corporate boards, including those of Farm Credit, Bibb Mills, Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc. and its subsidiaries, The Central of Georgia Railway Company, Citizens & Southern Capital Corporation, Citizens & Southern National Bank, C&S-Sovereign Trust Company, and NationsBank of Georgia. Mr. Tarbutton also served on the Advisory Boards of Southern Railway Company and Norfolk Southern Corporation. Mr. Tarbutton held a lifelong commitment to the growth and development of his community and the State of Georgia. He worked tirelessly to foster job creation and industrial development in Washington County to expand the tax base and bring better opportunities to its citizens. Mr. Tarbutton was a founding member and original officer of the Sandersville-Washington County Chamber of Commerce, served as a member of the board of the Washington County Hospital Authority, the Department of Family and Children's Services Board and for many years was Chairman of the Washington County Development Authority. He was also instrumental in locating Hamburg State Park in Washington County. Mr. Tarbutton was a strong supporter of Georgia's port system and the potential of Georgia's ports to improve Georgia's economic future. Mr. Tarbutton twice served as Chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority during periods of rapid growth and expansion of the State's ports. He was appointed and re-appointed to serve on the Authority by four successive Governors of two different political parties. Mr. Tarbutton was a member of the Sandersville United Methodist Church and served his church in many capacities during his lifetime. He was a member of the Sandersville Lions Club, the St. Andrews Society of Savannah, the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati, and the Society of Colonial Wars and he held memberships in the Oglethorpe and Chatham Clubs in Savannah, the Piedmont Driving Club and the Commerce Club in Atlanta, and the Highlands Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina. Mr. Tarbutton was active until his death and firmly believed that hard work never killed anybody and was the secret to longevity. Mr. Tarbutton was an avid outdoorsman who loved quail hunting, bill fishing, sailing, and hiking the Appalachian Trail. Many treasured moments came while hunting quail with family and friends over his bird dogs or catching sailfish and marlin in blue water. He was always up for a new challenge or a new adventure. He loved to tell the story of being allowed to bungee jump from a bridge in New Zealand free of charge due to his age. He was in his seventies at the time. Several years later he bungee jumped again over Victoria Falls but was disappointed he could not negotiate a free jump. He always regretted not learning how to fly or going skydiving - although he did not want to necessarily link those two activities too closely together. However, his greatest passion was always railroading. He never tired of working to make the Sandersville Railroad Company a better service provider to its customers. Mr Tarbutton often joked that he probably had more years of continuous railroad service than any person in the Railroad Retirement System and he is likely correct. If you knew him, you know that he loved every minute of it. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be made to the Sandersville United Methodist Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 611, Sandersville, Georgia 31082, Boys & Girls Club of CSRA, 206 Milledge Road, Augusta, Georgia 30904, Oxford College at Emory University, 711 Emory Street, Oxford, Georgia 30054, or Brentwood School, P. O. Box 955, Sandersville, Georgia 31082. May and Smith Funeral Directors of Sandersville is in charge of these arrangements. www.mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com May & Smith Funeral Directors Sandersville, Georgia 31082 478-552-2501 Savannah Morning News Jnauary 9, 2015 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannahnow.com/obituaries.