Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

September 14, 2024

Billye Elizabeth Hutto Mann, age 95, died September 14, 2024 holding the hand of her beloved husband of 76 years, Thomas Jules Mann.  She was born August 12, 1929 in Orangeburg, South Carolina to Helen Elizabeth Janes Hutto and Lewis Franklin Hutto.  The family moved to Marion and then to North Charleston during World War II, where she graduated from Chicora High School in 1946.

While working as Assistant Record Librarian at Roper Hospital, she attended and graduated from Rice Business College. Billye and Tom were married at The Citadel Chapel on August 28, 1948. After a year in Philadelphia, where Tom attended graduate school, they moved to Charlotte and raised their five children, Stephanie Mann Reed of Mt. Pleasant, SC; Tom, Jr. (Denise)of Charlotte, NC; Rob (Melinda) of Charlotte, NC; Bill (Shelly) of Charlotte, NC; and Beth Cavanaugh(Walker Moore) of Edisto Island, SC.

Billye was an active and devoted communicant of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church where she was a Guild Leader and served as President of the Episcopal Churchwomen.  She was a member of the Charlotte Symphony Women’s Association, membership committee, patron’s drive, telethon, youth concerts and chairman, ASID designer house.  Billye was active in the PTA serving on various committees at Myers Park Elementary School, A.G. Junior High, Myers Park High School and Charlotte Country Day; a volunteer worker in United Way, Heart Fund and the American Cancer Society.  Active in sports since her basketball games in high school, she was a member and drove in sports car rallies of the Tarheel Auto Sports Club, played tennis, crewed in sailing races with Tom at Lake Norman, and bare-boated sailing in the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands and the Grenadines.

Moving to Lake Norman in 1978, where they lived for 27 years, Billye was a member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church where she served on the Vestry for 3 years.  With the children raised, she discovered a new talent, fashion consultant. Joining Doncaster in 1980, she quickly joined the “Top Forty”, was number Two in the USA one year, and was in Top Ten on the President’s Circle and was an Area Manager and served on the Fashion Review Board several years.  Billye opened her own studio, was with Doncaster 21 years, became a sales associate for Worth and then with Carlisle for several more years.

Billye and Tom moved into semi-retirement at Bishop Gadsden (the Episcopal Church Home of SC) where they enjoyed life to the fullest, keeping up with family, friends and clients to the last, and making many more new friends.  Billye was extremely active at Bishop Gadsden Chapel, serving in the Altar Guild and as Usher and a member of the Chaplain’ Advisory Committee.

Surviving Billye and their five children are fourteen grandchildren: Anna, Ian and Allison Reed; Brandon, Emily and Jacob Mann; Alex and Jeanna Mann; Will, Ben and Grace Mann; and Nick, Luke (dec.) and Dirk Cavanaugh.  There are another 22 great grandchildren. Billye was predeceased by her brother, Col. Charles Lee Hutto, USA (Ret.) of Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Virginia and sisters, Barbara Ann Price, Charleston, SC and Angie Hurst of Walterboro, SC.

A memorial service will be held in the Chapel at Bishop Gadsden on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 11 AM. A reception will immediately follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Bishop Gadsden Resident’s Employee Christmas Fund, One Bishop Gadsden Way, Charleston, SC 29412.

Arrangements are in the care of Palmetto Cremation Society, 5638 N. Rhett Avenue, North Charleston SC 29406 and Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, Charlotte, NC 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.