John Edward Fitts Sr.

GASTON—John Edward Fitts, Sr., of Gaston, died on September 4, 2007. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, September 6, 2007 in First Baptist Church of Columbia, Boyce Chapel. Interment will follow at Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens directed by Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service at the church. Pallbearers will be grandsons, John Fitts, III, Ted Fitts, Lee Dutton, Joel Dutton, Thomas Fitts, Kell Fitts, Daniel Fitts, and Steven Fitts.

Mr. Fitts was born on July 4, 1914, in Beaufort, and grew up in Brunson. He was the son of the late Robert Raymond and Beulah Harley Fitts and the husband of the late Delia Kell Fitts. Mr. & Mrs. Fitts had been married for sixty-six years. Mr. Fitts was a member of the First Baptist Church of Columbia. He served as a deacon and was a member of the Baraca Class.

Mr. Fitts served in the United States Army Air Corps, attended the University of South Carolina, was a Base Engineer at Columbia Army Air Base during WW II, presently the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, and was a pioneer in the development of the sign industry. He was co-founder of Colonial-Hites Company in 1950 when his own company merged with Hites Manufacturing Company. He was co-founder of Colite Industries and retired in 1973 as CEO and Chairman of the Board. He was co-founder of Concept Unlimited in which he retired in 2003 as President.

During his sign career many of today’s standard techniques in the sign industry were developed by Mr. Fitts. He was the first to successfully produce the welded aluminum letter with a plastic face. Utilizing knowledge gained from his experience with aircraft aluminum at Columbia Army Air Base during World War II, he conceived the idea for using aluminum to replace steel letters, and aluminum became the standard of the industry because of its longevity.

Surviving are sons, John E. Fitts, Jr. and wife, Mary Claire of Gaston; Thomas M. Fitts and wife, Peggy of Columbia; Steven R. Fitts and wife, Rosemary of Lexington; a daughter, Mary F. Dutton and husband, Roy of Gaston; eleven grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; brothers, George H. Fitts of West Columbia, Ralph R. Fitts and wife, Marie of Charleston; a sister, Lydia F. McManus of Gafney; and special friends, Jack and Carol Coker and Bob and Emily Newell

Mr. Fitts was preceded in death by brothers, Glenn L. Fitts and Walton R. Fitts; sisters, Raye F. Kull, Rosemond Morrison McIntosh, and Jeanette F. Young.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, Building Fund or the Church’s Television Ministry, 1306 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201

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