Stephen Douglass Fitch, 90, died on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 at his home in Cheshire, England.

Born in Ohio, son of Arie D. Fitch and Nell Dyer Fitch, Stephen was a well-known  star of Broadway musicals under the stage name of Stephen Douglass. He starred in the Broadway shows “Carousel,” “Damn Yankees,” “Make a Wish,” “Rumple,” “Pajama Game,” “Show Boat,” “110 in the Shade,” “The Golden Apple” and “I Do, I Do.”

Stephen and his wife, Christine, and their son, Cameron, moved to Landrum in 1977 and were extremely well known for their theatrical endeavours in the area. They created the Barn Door Theatre in Landrum, which brought live theater to the town with splendid productions of musicals and plays.

They also were very involved with the Tryon Little Theater and the Tryon Fine Arts Center, where all three of them participated in many productions.

Stephen thrilled all with his beautiful deep baritone voice and splendid stage presence, shown to perfection in such shows as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Sound of Music” and “South Pacific,” and he surprised and delighted audiences with his comedic timing and characterizations in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.”

He and Christine were a perfect team with her many productions for TLT and his versatile performances. They were greatly missed when they moved back to England in 2001.

Stephen was a member of Tryon Presbyterian Church.

He leaves his wife, Christine; their son, Cameron; his children from his first marriage, Jonathan, Jeffrey, Julie and Jessica; grandchildren, Meredith, Wesley and Evan Shippee and Alexandra and Stephanie Fitch, and his sisters, Catherine Helmstetter of Tryon Estates and Winnie Houston of Oregon.