 1938 - 2024 (85 years)
-
| Name |
Christopher Hillery Caison [1, 2, 3] |
| Birth |
30 Oct 1938 |
Clinton, Sampson, North Carolina, USA  [1, 2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Residence |
1958 |
Durham, North Carolina, USA [1] |
| Death |
9 May 2024 |
Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina, USA |
- Christopher Hillery Caison, 85, died on May 9, 2024 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Chris was born on October 30, 1938 in Clinton, NC to Cicero Hillery and Annie Ruth Crumpler Caison. One of four siblings, he spent much of his childhood in his father's hardware store or shooting basketball. A passion for athletics was a continuous thread throughout his life. He excelled at Clinton High School sports and was recruited to play football at Duke University with plans to be a walk-on for the basketball team. Although a freshman year knee injury ended his collegiate athletic career, he continued to enjoy competition on the tennis court, golf course and at the ping pong table. He never tired of watching and discussing his favorite teams, Duke basketball and the Atlanta Braves.
After earning a BA in History from Duke University, and a Master's in Teaching from UNC Chapel Hill (as a true blue Dukie, he always said that he never spent a night in Chapel Hill), Chris began his career teaching high school and coaching football and basketball in Roanoke and Courtland, VA and Clinton, NC. In his first season as Head Football Coach at Southampton High School in rural Courtland, his team went undefeated with 11 players going on to play college ball and one to the NFL. Eventually he left education to continue his career with Union Camp Corporation in Franklin, VA. He later excelled as the Human Resources manager at the new paper mill in Eastover, SC, and retired as the plant manager of the sheet paper division in Sumter, SC. In retirement, Chris consulted in business development for Thompson Industrial, was the marketing director for the Sumter County Penny for Progress campaign and served on the boards of the Sumter Chamber of Commerce, Tuomey Health Care Systems and the Sumter YMCA.
Chris was a born leader. He was a life-long learner, an avid reader, a patron of the symphony, and an entertaining essayist. He was known to be punctual, a fierce competitor and a warm, fun and faithful husband, father, grandfather, coach, mentor and friend. During the past eight years, Chris lived at the Franke at Seaside community, where he made many close friends through ping-pong matches, puzzles, pool workouts, bridge and poker games.
Chris was predeceased by his loving wife and best friend, Mary Jane Caison, his brothers, Claude Caison and Kim Caison. He is survived by his beloved daughters, Cammie Camp (Billy) and Barrie Benson (Matt) and dearest grandchildren, Hugh Camp (Mackenzie), Henry Camp (McKenzie), Chris Camp (Efrat Abramson), Billy Benson, Kay Benson, sister, Betsy Best, sisters-in-law, Ann Jervey (Packy, deceased), Barrie Wallace (Andy), and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, Chris asked that donations be made to the Franke at Seaside Employee Fund, 1885 Rifle Range Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. The family is extremely grateful to the caring Franke staff.
A remembrance will be held at Franke with a memorial service planned in North Carolina at a later time.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by Charleston Post & Courier from May 11 to May 12, 2024.
https://obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/charleston/name/christopher-caison-obituary?id=55087582
|
| Person ID |
I5241 |
tng Genealogy |
| Father |
Cicero Hillery Caison, b. 21 Nov 1912, Sampson, North Carolina, USA d. 5 Aug 1959, Jacksonville, Onslow, North Carolina, USA (Age 46 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Annie Ruth Crumpler, b. 2 Aug 1918, Sampson, North Carolina, USA d. 26 Jul 1997, Clinton, Sampson, North Carolina, USA (Age 78 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Family ID |
F2084 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Mary Jane Altvater, b. 29 Jul 1940, Durham, North Carolina, USA d. 17 Oct 2021, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina, USA (Age 81 years) |
| Marriage |
21 Jul 1962 |
Durham, North Carolina, USA [3] |
| Children |
|
| Family ID |
F2085 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
| Event Map |
|
 | Birth - 30 Oct 1938 - Clinton, Sampson, North Carolina, USA |
 |
 | Death - 9 May 2024 - Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina, USA |
|
|
-
-
| Notes |
- Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC)
July 1, 2007
Section: Sports
Page: A006
Former Clinton native, Caison enjoys spending time with family, friends and traveling
Where Are They Now?
Author: BILLY TODD; Sports Writer
SUMTER, S.C.- This week in our on-going series of Where Are They Now? we held a phone interview with former Clinton High School coach and former Clinton native, Chris Caison.
Caison currently is retired and lives with his wife, Mary Jane, of 44 years, (45 this month), in Sumter, South Carolina. The Caisons have two daughters, one who lives in Charleston, South Carolina and the other in Charlotte. They have five grandchildren. Caison is the son of Hillery Caison and Annie Ruth Crumpler Caison. He has one sister, Betsy Best, who still resides in Clinton along with many other relatives, like Lawrence Caison, Betty Jean Best, Katie Knowles, and Charles Ray Knowles. Caison's mother remarried following his dad's death to the Rev. Bill Jones, long time pastor of First Baptist Church, 408 College Street. He had two brothers who both died at an early age, one at 22 and the other 46.
"I am fully retired now. I still serve on the Board of the Sumter Chamber of Commerce, but I am not am not doing any paying jobs," laughingly stated Caison, "But we stay busy with the grandchildren's activities. They range in age from two to fifteen.
The Clinton native was born on Fayetteville Street across from Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church. "We use to ride our bikes all over town," stated Caison, "Jimmy Hobbs, Dale Johnson, and Donnie McQueen, (currently a doctor in Wilmington and still a very close friend), would do just about everything together. We would go to Leah Henry's house and visit. We played all sports together and we played year round." McQueen and Caison still travel some together now as they remain life-long friends.
Caison played center and defensive tackle for the Dark Horses when Ren Hoek, Sil Caruso and Pete Carr were at the helm. "Pete Carr was a good fundamentals teacher," states Caison. "We played in the Southeastern 3-A league and lost one conference game in two years. We had a tie my junior year and we were undefeated my senior year in 1955." Caison played forward in basketball while McQueen was center. The Horses went to the state finals and lost to Kinston his junior year and lost to Sanford in the semifinals who went on to win the state title his senior year.
Following high school, Caison and two of his classmates, Bobby Crummie and Marvin Musselwhite joined Ted Royal, who was already on scholarship at Duke, on full football scholarships. Caison did not play much while at Duke due to an injured knee. He never fully recovered and after the death of his father he felt compelled to spend more time at home.
Upon graduation, Caison began his first job as teacher and coach at Cave Springs High School (J J Reddick's high school) in Roanoke, at the pleading of Duke coach Jerry McGee. He remained there only one year.
Coach Caison married his college sweetheart, Mary Jane, and returned to Clinton to teach and coach. Caison was assistant coach under Pete Carr and served as JV football and basketball coach. "We had some really good athletes like, Jimmy Darden, Murray Poole, and Sprunt Hill that helped us achieve," expressed Caison.
Then Caison took a head basketball job in South Hampton, Virginia. In his first year there he went to the final four in basketball and served as an assistant coach in football. The second year Caison became the head football coach and had an undefeated season. Ranked first in Virginia State 2-A division. His third year Caison was head coach for both teams.
In 1966 Caison moved back to Clinton as head football coach. Bobby Robinson came that same year as his assistant. "Bobby coached defense and I took offense. In retrospect, I probably should have reversed those roles," commented Caison. Caison served as coach for the Dark Horses for five years compiling a 29-21-1 record for football. His first year was his team's best record of 7-2-1. "We lost to Sanford in the state that year," said Caison, "It was a very difficult time for the schools. A lot of change and adjustment due to total integration. We were not the 'Titans' of "Remember the Titans,' but sports had a great deal to do with the communities coming together and working together."
"Paul Williams and Willie Jacobs were instrumental in getting everyone together. Bob Lewis and Bobby Robinson were great coaches. I should have delegated more. Marshal Hamilton was director of athletics and is now an AD in Raleigh, they all were great co-workers," commented Caison,
"Nathan Gay and I were and are good friends, we held a small basketball camp for several years down at Union. Gay had a bus and I would drive it home at night and go around the county the next morning and pick up those people who wanted to go to the camp and take them home in the afternoon.
Caison left Clinton to join Union Camp in Virginia close to South Hampton and remained with them for 28 years. He served as Director of Personnel for Corporate Recruitment. Caison transferred to a plant as Director of Human Resources in eastern South Carolina and lived in Columbia. Finally, Caison moved to Sumter, South Carolina to plan, develop and start-up a new sheet cut plant.. The plant provided paper under its own Union Camp label as well as for Office Depot and Xerox. Union Camp merged with International Paper a year after Caison's retired in 2002.
Caison states, "The most influential person in my life was my father. He was not an athlete but he was a great sports fan." Caison's father also went to Duke and was such a fan that when coach Caison was less than three months old, he took off to travel to the Rose Bowl to see the 'Iron Dukes' play Southern California. Duke lost 7-3 late in the fourth quarter and it was the only time the Duke team had been scored on that year. The Duke booster club took the nickname of that team as its own and are called the Iron Dukes currently," stated Caison, "He was a big supporter of the Class D Sampson Blues baseball team back in the '40s also."
"I would also have to say that I was greatly influenced by my friends who I grew up with and learning about life together, my coaches and administrators like Percell Jones and superintendent, E. C. Sipe, who was my mentor and encouraged me to go back to graduate school all played a vital role in my career.
"There were several from my graduating high school class that were recruited by Carolina. In fact, I was offered a chance to play basketball and football my freshman year and then decide which I wanted to play for my scholarship. That was when Frank McQuire was basketball coach and Tatum was the football coach. I told my dad, 'I just don't believe them' and went to where I knew I was going...Duke," shared Caison, "Two guys, E. C. Newman and Gene Musselwhite both were recruited by the Air Force Academy and retired as colonels. From our class we had at least three doctors, two attorneys, two PhDs, a newspaper editor and a Hall of Famer, Bobby Robinson. Seven guys went to Division I teams on full scholarship. That is really a high number when there were only 40 guys in our class. It was quiet an accomplishment, " expressed Caison.
Responding to what advice would you give today's young people, Caison responded, "Work hard and be consistent. There are going to be ups and downs. Learn from the past but have to continue forward, especially in athletics. Academics have to come first. Make your lives something besides sports."
"My greatest joy is seeing young people I have coached be successful. Many write or call to let me know how they are doing. E-mail has been great. I get a lot of stuff from them this way," says Caison, "I love to hear from them."
Caison spends his time now with his grandchildren, and exercises daily by doing lap swimming. He and his wife love to travel and are planning a historical trip very soon to several Revolutionary and Civil War battlefield. Caison was a history major. The couple have traveled to Europe on several occasions and planning a third trip to Italy soon. He is learning to play the guitar and the harmonica. "Maybe I will have to become a one-man band," joked Caison. He also enjoys reading and dabbling in writing.
Clinton native, Chris Caison has touched many lives and has left his mark on Clinton and Sampson County. We thank you and wish you the best enjoying your retirement.
To contact Billy Todd, call 592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail sigeneral@intrstar.net
Caption:
Former Clinton High School coach, Chris Caison and his wife Mary Jane, enjoy traveling since he retired. They often visit their cabin in the mountains near Waynesville, North Carolina.
COURTESY PHOTO
Memo:
"My greatest joy is seeing young people I have coached be successful."
-CHRIS CAISON
Copyright, 2007, Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC). Heartland Publications, LLC All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: 11A2F38594846160
|
-
| Sources |
- [S465] Ancestry.com, U.S. School Yearbooks, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).
Record for Christopher Caison
[ View Source Document]
- [S342] Ancestry.com, North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000, (Name: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2005;).
Record for Christopher Hillary Caison
[ View birth certificate]
- [S547] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;).
Record for Christopher Hillery Caison
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=60548&h=6999083&indiv=try
[ View marriage certificate]
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=60548&h=6999083&indiv=try
|
|
|
