Obituary of Alfred Taylor Heath, III

Alfred Taylor “Freddie” Heath, III 89, husband of Sara “Sally” Commander Heath, died on May 23, 2024. Born in Sumter, SC, he was a son of the late Mary Harvin Heath and Alfred Taylor “Fred” Heath, Junior. Freddie attended McCallie School for Boys in Chattanooga, TN where he graduated in 1952. He attended the University of North Carolina where he was a Sigma Chi and then transferred to the University of South Carolina where he graduated in 1956. After graduation, he went to work for the family business, Carolina Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Sumter. He retired as Executive VP and General Manager in 1999. Freddie loved his family summer home in Murrells Inlet, SC and loved to have fun dancing, boating, and making friends all over SC. He was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Sumter and Mount Pleasant, a former board member of the Sumter Rotary Club and C & S National Bank. He was on many committees for the betterment of Sumter. From 1989 until 2019, Freddie and Sally lived in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant and returned to Sumter in 2019. Surviving are his wife Sally of 35 years; his children, James Earl “Jim” Heath (Stephanie), Harvin Heath Greene (Tommy) and Lucy Heath Lee (Todd); his sister, Harriette “Sister” Wimberly, three step children, Will Betchman (Kim), Sara Betchman and Summer Betchman O’Neill (Pat); eleven grandchildren, Taylor Heath (Jenna), Mary Copeland Heath, Heathie Greene, Lula Greene, Reynolds Lee, Laura Harvin Lee, Hamilton Betchman, Emma Wynn Brown (Michael), John O’Neil, William O’Neill and McLaurin O’Neill and one great-grandchild, Leni Brown. Graveside services will be held at 2 P.M. Sunday at Sumter Cemetery with the Rev. Joseph James officiating. The family will receive visitors following the graveside service. Honorary Pallbearers are Taylor Heath, Reynolds Lee, Hamilton Betchman, John O’Neill, and William O’Neill. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Attn: Gift Processing, 4600 Park Road, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28209, to the Sumter SPCA, 1140 S. Guignard Drive, or to a charity of your choice. On-line condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral and Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements. 803-775-9386.