Anna Faye Hite

Our beloved mother, Anna Faye Morris Hite, age 90, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2025.  She was the proud wife of Von Ray Hite, Sr. Services will be held 3:00pm Sunday December 28, 2025 at Cedar Grove Lutheran Church, with the Rev Leon Rawl officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the church. Pallbearers will be David Corder, Terry Hite, Clay McConaughy, Caleb McConaughy, Brady McConaughy, Russell Sullivan, Jay Nash, and Jason Davis. She was born September 7, 1935 to Alberta Gay Morris, and Richard Hobson Morris,Sr. of Vinemont, Alabama. After graduating from Cullman High, she started her studies at Baptist nursing school in Birmingham, Alabama. Her nursing studies culminated in 1979 with her Doctor of Nursing degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

During her career, she was a professor of nursing in both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at the University of South Carolina. She later became Dean of Nursing at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Anna had a varied clinical nursing experience which included working in Highland Baptist Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, the Old Columbia Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina , and as a nursing administrator with Rikard nursing home. She also was a home healthcare nurse. Her last position was serving the community as a nurse practitioner in the practice of the late Dr. Gurdon Counts of Leesville, South Carolina.

Our mother was a woman of many firsts, among them being one of the first nurses in South Carolina to receive the Doctor of Science in Nursing (DSN) degree. Around 1973, she also was one of the first women to wear one of the new “pantsuits” to her church. After church one Sunday, we remember mom asking (as the 7 of us piled out of the car), “Does anyone notice anything different about me ?” As we stared at Mom, one child suddenly exclaimed, “You’re the one they were talking about!” Shortly after many women were bravely also wearing the pantsuit to church. My how times have changed !!

Anna and Ray met in Anniston, Alabama. Due to the nearness of Fort McClellan, Anna and her childhood friend Betty Metts(along with several of Betty’s sisters) met some special service men, among them, cousins, Ray Hite and Philip Metts. They all fell in love and over a few years, all married and moved from Cullman County to Leesville, South Carolina together and raised their families.

Anna‘s many leisure activities included watching her Alabama and South Carolina football teams. She was fortunate to attend Alabama games coached by the great Bear Bryant and wear her “Bear” replica hat. She also enjoyed Major League Baseball and the Winston cup series car racing while cheering on her favorite, Jeff Gordon.

Her family and friends also looked forward to enjoying the many different dishes she cooked and shared.

She loved to travel, especially to visit her Alabama family, mountain trips to Gatlinburg and fun New Year’s week trips to Key West, Florida with many of her granddaughters.

Anna was also the organizer of the Dewayne’s 5K race for Ataxia held annually for many years. This fundraiser, in honor of her son Dewayne, was very dear to her heart.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Ray Hite, children Von Ray Hite, Jr., Beverley Young, Hobson Hite(Neva), Amy Corder(David), daughter-in-law, Jane Hite and 9 grandchildren, Alicia McConaughy(Clay), LeAnna Davis(Jason), Marcia Young, Hallie Nash(Jay), Clay Young(Rebecca), Traci Hite, Angela Sullivan(Russell), Leigha Mellen, Kayla Hite, and brother Jack Morris (Betty Ann), sister-in-law, Jo Morris and many dear nieces and nephews. She’s also survived by 18 great grandchildren, Trey, Caleb, Brady, Chloe, Ava, Nicholas, Abigail, Sean, Mayley, Sophie, Michael, Asher, Chase, Rowan, Kennan, Sawyer, Meredith and one on the way!

Oh the love Anna must have felt as she was greeted at the gates of heaven by her dear mother, Alberta ,and father, Hobson, infant grandson, Michael Paul Hite, brothers, Dewayne Morris and Hobson “Hobbie” Morris, Jr.(Vertie), son-in-law, Hubert “Clay”Young III and her special son, Dewayne Hite, who must have run into her arms. Together they all went to see Jesus.

Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium, Historic Batesburg-Leesville Chapel is assisting the Hite family with arrangements.

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