Wayne Weaver Hitt, 89, of Morganton, NC passed away on Friday, July 18, 2025 peacefully following a rapid decline in health. He was born in Nash County, NC on September 30, 1935 to the late Wayne Wade Hitt and Buna Agnes Rollins Hitt. Wayne was the owner/operator of The Camera Center for more than twenty-seven years with it closing in January of 2000. In his younger years, he enjoyed boating and water skiing. Wayne was an official certified Mayflower descendent who loved old movies, to read, travel, and capture and share the beauty and stories from his camera. After retiring, he volunteered at the History Museum of Burke County for many years. Wayne enjoyed sharing his knowledge of the history of Burke County and the building of Lake James.
Throughout his life, he was active in the community in front and behind the scenes, donating very generously of his time and monetary gifts towards his passions: three of which were the History Museum of Burke County, The Burke County Library archives, and South Mountain Childrens Home. He loved to travel abroad, having visited nineteen different countries and took over thousands of pictures to share with family and friends.
Wayne is survived by numerous close and extended cousins in Burke and Cleveland counties, Georgia and beyond.
He will be entombed alongside his parents at Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum. A simple service will be at 2pm, on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, and because of Waynes love for history, memorial contributions may be made to either the History Museum of Burke County, PO Box 416, Morganton, NC 28680 or Preservation North Carolina, PO Box 27644, Raleigh, NC 27611-7644 or the Ava Gardner Museum, 325 E. Market St., Smithfield, NC 27577.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Throughout his life, he was active in the community in front and behind the scenes, donating very generously of his time and monetary gifts towards his passions: three of which were the History Museum of Burke County, The Burke County Library archives, and South Mountain Childrens Home. He loved to travel abroad, having visited nineteen different countries and took over thousands of pictures to share with family and friends.
Wayne is survived by numerous close and extended cousins in Burke and Cleveland counties, Georgia and beyond.
He will be entombed alongside his parents at Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum. A simple service will be at 2pm, on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, and because of Waynes love for history, memorial contributions may be made to either the History Museum of Burke County, PO Box 416, Morganton, NC 28680 or Preservation North Carolina, PO Box 27644, Raleigh, NC 27611-7644 or the Ava Gardner Museum, 325 E. Market St., Smithfield, NC 27577.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
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I am so going to miss my friend Wayne. We worked together at the History Museum. He would be the first to tell you he led a full life with very few bumps in the road. He was generous, knowledgeable, had a soft spot for children whose lives were touched by distress. That is not to say he wasn’t sometimes gruff, abrupt, and opinionated, for he was at times, but it could be forgiven, for it could not disguise his true character as mentioned above. Good Bye.
—Michele Fugate
A humble, quiet man who gave generously of his time and assets to nonprofits in our community! Always looked forward to our chats on Friday afternoons as a Docet at the Burke County History Museum as Wayne provided leadership in its development!
—Ed Hardin