Camp ASCCA will miss Mr. Billy Hitchcock

Unfortunately, I attended the funeral of a very great man yesterday - Mr. Billy Hitchcock, of Opelika, Alabama. Most people associate the name of Billy Hitchcock very easily with Auburn University sports and professional baseball… But I won’t go into great detail about that right now…

I only met Mr. Hitchcock one time since I’ve been at Camp ASCCA. He and his wife Betty Ann participated in one of our Tommy Tuberville Camp ASCCA golf tournaments. They both were very friendly, talked to everyone and smiled the whole time while enjoying the great atmosphere filled with Auburn pride, the game of golf, and the mission of Camp ASCCA.

Before heading to Trinity Presbyterian Church in Opelika for the funeral service, I spoke to Wylone (one of our office staff members) about Mr. Hitchcock. Wylone as been here for over 12 years, so she’s seen a lot of people! She commented that when Mr. Hitchcock attend our board meetings, “he always walked through our doors smiling, and just so kind… He made people feel comfortable and was always so generous.” I was happy to hear this and wished I had been around him more.

Throughout his years of being associated with Camp ASCCA, he and his wife have always contributed to special events. He has also annually made a contribution for a “nursing scholarship”, to help in recruiting a “just graduated” nurse to work at Camp ASCCA for the summer! Our nurses work extremely hard each summer in caring for our campers, and we have been so appreciative of Mr. Hitchcock to have supported their work!Back in 1997, our accessible floating boat dock at the lakefront was built and dedicated the “Billy Hitchcock Boat Dock” supported by the Opelika Kiwanis Club, of which Mr. Hitchcock was a member. This dock was terribly needed to help make getting off and on boats more accessible, as the water level in Lake Martin flucuates throughout the year.

The funeral was very nice and simple - very appopriate for Mr. Hitchcock. There were SO MANY family members there and so many kind words spoken. How fortuanate the “family of Camp ASCCA” has been to have been touched by his kindness… Thank you Mr. Billy!