Harriet Ann Whisenhunt Hewitt

Published 1:20 pm Thursday, July 7, 2016

Harriet Ann Whisenhunt Hewitt, age 84, passed away on June 28, 2016 in Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla. after a brief illness.

Harriet resided in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Tampa, Fla.; and since 1991, has had a house on Melrose Mountain in Tryon, N.C.

Harriet was born in Cope, S.C., and was an only child. She graduated from Orangeburg High School in 1950 and was a top-scorer on her school basketball team. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1954, where she was head majorette from her sophomore through her senior years and was the first majorette to ever receive a scholarship. She was also president of the ZTA sorority at USC.

Harriet was an avid sports and outdoor enthusiast. She taught lifesaving, swimming, baton twirling and water skiing and personally enjoyed many more sports, including snow skiing and tennis. She was a physical education teacher at Plant High School in Tampa, Fla.; a science and health teacher and basketball coach at both North Charleston High School and Garrett High in Charleston, S.C. – the latter team she led to win the lower South Carolina State championship.

When United States Tennis Association local league play was first organized in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Harriet organized and headed up the local association. The Grand Strand Tennis Association grew to over 2,000 players. She won many tennis awards and eventually became vice president of the South Carolina Tennis Association.

Harriet Ann had a sharp wit, a big heart, and loved adventure and travel – which included a 30-day around-the-world trip on a chartered supersonic Concorde. She had a legendary love for animals – particularly dogs and horses, and was constantly developing new hobbies – cultivating roses and orchids, ceramics, photography, macramé, crosswords, puzzles, adult coloring books, and many more.

She was predeceased by her daughter Karen Miller Hewitt; is survived by her husband, Dr. James Carlisle Hewitt; her two children Kelly Ann Hewitt, and James (Jay) C. Hewitt Jr. and his partner Wyndham Stopford; two grandchildren, Kristin Nicole Hewitt Brown and Daniel Kaiser Gibbs; and her beloved Australian Shepherd Obie Hewitt.

A celebration of life will be held at The First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach on Thursday, July 21 at 1 p.m. at 1300 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, 843-448-4496. A reception will follow at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, 9000 N. Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572, 843-449-5236.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to K9 Partners for Patriots in Harriet’s name online at www.K9PartnersforPatriots.com.

Submitted by Jay Hewitt