Eugene Gordon Hay

Eugene Gordon Hay, 88, of Charleston, SC, retired Executive Vice President of Coburg Dairy, Inc., and husband of Charlotte Hanckel Hay, died peacefully at his home on Friday, March 15, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013, in First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, 53 Meeting Street, Charleston. Following the service, burial will take place at 3:00 pm at Johns Island Presbyterian Churchyard, 2550 Bohicket Road, Johns Island. The family will receive friends at the First (Scots) Fellowship Hall on Sunday, March 17, 2013, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL.

Mr. Hay was born on February 10, 1925 in Charleston, South Carolina. He was the son of Eugene Gordon Hay and Sarah Motte Legare Clement. Following the Depression, his family moved from Windermere back to the family farm on Johns Island. Mr. Hay's father and his uncle were married to two Clement sisters, and the two families farmed together on their land along the Abbapoola and Stono Rivers. Mr. Hay lost his father at the age of ten and the two families merged together with the seven children being raised as one family. The whole family was very active in the Johns Island Presbyterian Church.

After graduating from Johns Island High School, Gordon entered Clemson Agricultural College (Military College) to attain a degree in Civil Engineering. In 1942, during his freshman year, he volunteered for the Navy. As a member of the 28th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) he was stationed at Camp Endicott in Providence, Rhode Island. From there, he was shipped to England aboard the Queen Elizabeth to train for the Normandy Invasion. His battalion landed at Omaha Beach the night of the invasion and then moved onto LeHarve and Cherbourg. He returned to the States in January 1945, was married to Charlotte Miles Hanckel on March 17, 1945, and one week later, left for the Pacific and the invasion of Okinawa.

Upon his return in January 1946, he and his wife, Charlotte, moved to Clemson to complete his degree. While Charlotte worked at the Clemson Housing Authority to support his education, he earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1949. The couple then moved to Raleigh, N.C., where he worked for the North Carolina Highway Department.

In 1950, his father-in-law, Francis Hanckel, persuaded him to join the family business, Coburg Dairy, and return to Charleston. Gordon was responsible for the opening and operations of the following branches: Georgetown, Summerville, Beaufort, Orangeburg, and Myrtle Beach. In 1953, he was elected to the Board of Directors and was subsequently named Vice President in 1955. In 1970, he assumed responsibilities for plant operations and in 1973, he became Vice President of Personnel. In 1985, he became Executive Vice President. In 1987, Gordon was instrumental in the process of building the new plant and relocating the business from West Ashley to North Charleston. He retired in 1991 after 40 years, and remained active as the Vice President and Secretary of the Board of Directors until the business was sold in 1998.

Gordon was an elder at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, having served as a Deacon and chairman of several committees, including the Building and Pastoral Search Committees. He was also a member of Carolina Yacht Club; The Society of Colonial Wars; St. Andrew's Society of Charleston, SC; and Albermarle Supper Club. He was a long time Rotarian, a past president of St. Andrews Rotary, and was named an honorary Paul Harris Fellow.

Gordon was an avid horseman throughout his life. He supported his children in many equestrian activities, including horse shows throughout the Lowcountry and events sponsored by the United States Pony Club. He was also a passionate supporter and member of the Middleton Place Hounds during its formative years.

Throughout his life, Gordon cherished the time spent with his family and friends at the family property at Abbapoola and Legareville.

He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Hanckel Hay; his three children: Charlene Hay Bruce (Billy) of Boykin, SC, Motte Legare Hay Hackman (Tom), and E. Gordon Hay, Jr. (Genny); his son-in-law, Stan E. Baird; seven grandchildren: W. Rankin Bruce III (Shalon), Charlotte B. McAhron (David), Lora A. Baird, Brock E. Baird, Genevieve P. Hay, E. Gordon Hay VI, and W. A. Legare Hay; two great-grandchildren: Macie L. Bruce and Anna R. Bruce; and three sisters: Mary Hay Jenkins, Ann Hay Thomas and Lydia Hay Pederson (Pete). He was preceded in death by a daughter, Polly Hay Baird; a sister, Motte Legare Hay; and two brothers, William Clement Hay and Daniel Ellis Hay, Jr.

Memorials may be made to First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, 153 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Johns Island Presbyterian Church, 2550 Bohicket Road, Johns Island, SC 29455; or Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding (CATR), 2669 Hamilton Road, Johns Island, SC 29455.