Camille J. Hite

Published 12:36 pm Tuesday, June 26, 2018

GREENVILLE, NC – Camille Jernigan Hite, 94, passed away on June 22, 2018.

A celebration of her life was conducted Monday, June 25 at St. James United Methodist Church by the Reverend Dennis Adams and the Reverend Joyce Day. Private entombment was in Pinewood Memorial Park.

Miss Camille, as she was known, was born in Aulander, NC, the only child of Effie Herring and Kenneth Rupert Jernigan. She graduated as class valedictorian of Aulander High School in 1941. She graduated from East Carolina Teachers College in 1945. During college, she was Senior Class President and received the Scholarship & Leadership Award. She was accompanist for several organizations including the Jimmie Clark Orchestra, Greenville Rotary Club and Marie Wallace’s Dance Studio. After graduation she taught music and English at Broughton High School and later at Greenville High School.

She married Kenneth Hite (“Hite”) in 1947 and they moved to Greenville in 1949. She was a member of Semi-Centi Book Club. Miss Camille was a charter member of St. James Methodist Church where she was a circle member and member of the Ed Roberts Sunday School Class. She played for the fellowship singing group in the church fellowship hall for over 50 years. Church attendance was one of the things she missed the most during her years of declining health. However, she continued to feel supported by the members of her church family who visited, called, sent cards or remembered her in their prayers.

Miss Camille and Hite were married 53 years until his death in 2000.

She is survived by her son, Kenneth Bryant Hite and wife, Rebecca Lackey Hite, of Sebastian, FL; her son, James Gray Hite and wife, Krestin Barnes Hite, and her daughter Melanie Hite Clark, all of Greenville; grandchildren: Kenneth Bryant Hite, Jr. and wife, Jane, of Sebastian, FL; William Grayson Hite of Telluride, CO; James Gray Hite, Jr. and wife, Gretchun, of Ayden; Erin Hite Grimes and husband, Paul, of Farmville, Stone Tapley Hite and Hannah Camille Clark, both of Greenville; and great grandchildren: Lillian Jane Hite, Emma Grace Hite, Elizabeth Celeste Shear and husband Kyle, Noah Gray Hite, Paige Alexis Hite, Morgan Grace Hite, Lance Hite Smithwick and Lola Camille Grimes.

The family would like to extend its appreciation to her faithful caregivers Maola Smith and Cora Taft and her dear friend Velma Johnson.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Kenneth and Camille Hite Scholarship Fund at Saint James United Methodist Church, 2000 East Sixth Street, Greenville, NC.

Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home and Crematory.

Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com.