Charles McCrae Hill

Charles McCrae Hill, 92, of Newport, NC, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 29­, 2019, at Crystal Bluffs Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

His memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019, at St. James United Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. Tom Supplee. Interment will take place at a later date. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, 2019, at St. James United Methodist Church.

Charles was born and raised in Newport and after graduating from his beloved Wake Forest College in 1950, and a stint in the Army from 1944 -1946, he returned to Newport to work with his father in C.M. Hill Hardware Store. He later took over the store, which remained in business until 2003, when he retired. Hill’s Hardware was more than a store and served as a community gathering place, dating back to when town elders would gather around the pot-bellied stove in the back to swap tales and catch up on the news of the day. Charles mentored many teen age boys by giving them jobs in the hardware store, some of whom were like sons to him.

Charles was devoted to his family, his church, St. James United Methodist Church and his community. He served as a Sunday School teacher for more than 60 years, where he influenced many lives.  Charles’ oyster roasts and seafood cooking were legendary, and his Sunday School class was often rewarded with these seafood feasts overlooking Bogue Sound.  Charles served many roles in the church, giving the devotional at Men’s Club and sermons at St. James and other churches, and serving on many committees. His lifelong habit was to get up early on Sunday to prepare his Sunday School lesson and then, when his children were small, he would walk his daughters to church, giving their mother time to get herself ready.

Charles was a strong believer in public education and served on both the Newport and West Carteret High School Advisory Boards and served on the Carteret County Board of Education from 1976-1984.

Charles loved sports of all kinds, from Little League baseball to professional sports. He frequently sponsored Little League and Babe Ruth baseball teams and was a long-time supporter of West Carteret High School Athletics, where he was inducted into the West Carteret Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions as a booster. His children and their friends have fond memories of his loading up his nine-passenger station wagon with students for basketball games throughout Eastern North Carolina and he seldom missed a home game until later years. Baseball remained his favorite sport, and until suffering a stroke in 2018, Charles frequently attended Babe Ruth baseball games in Newport, as well as traveling to Florida with his wife Ann to watch games during Spring Training.

Among his many philanthropic activities, Charles served on the Newport Pig Cooking Committee for nearly four decades, which hosts the annual Newport Pig Cooking Contest, an all-volunteer BBQ contest that has raised over $1 million to support local charities. He also started the Newport Meals on Wheels program, providing meals and companionship to senior citizens in the Newport area, in which his daughter Suzanne Plisko remains involved.

Charles spent much of his retirement writing about Newport, his friends, family and his life. His wealth of knowledge of Newport history was treasured and he frequently spoke at local events on the early days of Newport. His writings are cherished by his family and will remain part of his legacy for his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Ann Darden Webb Hill of the home; four daughters, Joanna Cook and husband Philip of Chattanooga, TN, Janet Hill of Arnoldsville, GA , Peggy Suzanne Plisko and husband Michael of Newport and Mary Ellen Thompson and husband Craig of Jacksonville; sister, Betty Jo Jacobs and husband Jim of Raleigh; step-daughters, Beth Freshwater-Smith and husband Richard of Wilson and Sara Freshwater Duncan of Wilmington; step-son, David Wilson Freshwater and wife Kim of Wilmington; 13 grandchildren, Joshua Cook and wife Susan, Jonathan Charles Cook, Anna Cook, Sarah Plisko Davis and husband Skylar, Charles Plisko and fiancé Krystal, Leah Plisko, Sean McKinley Thompson and wife Chloé, Rachel Thompson, Ryan Thompson, Ali Duncan, Lauren Duncan, Elizabeth Darden Smith, Richard Thorp Smith, IV; and 6 great-grandchildren, Ian McCrae Plisko, Eden-Rose Davis, Charlotte Grace Sparks, Charles-William Davis, Finley-Harper Davis and Owen Plisko.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles McKinley and Annie Spruill Hill; his wife, Peggy Mann Hill; and sister, Virginia Ann Blizzard.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Crystal Bluffs Health Center, who cared for him so well, and especially Dorothy and Metrika.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. James United Methodist Church at P.O. Box 250, Newport, NC 28570, the Newport Babe Ruth League Baseball, in care of Myrna Smith, 836 Loop Rd., Newport, NC 28570 or the Newport Meals on Wheels, in care of St. James Church, P.O. Box 250, Newport, NC 28570.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Crematory in Morehead City, NC.