Antony Barry Hewitt Obituary (1946

Tony Hewitt, 73, passed away peacefully, with his wife, Jackie, and daughter, Lucy, by his side Oct. 21 at Wilcox Hall, Holston Valley Medical Center. Tony was a tireless worker and advocate for his family, his company, and his community. He approached his life’s work with a can do attitude and a resplendent smile. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Jackie, Kingsport; daughters, Lucy, Savannah, Georgia; Emma Flock (Dave), Norwich England; Beth Hall (James), Reepham Norfolk, England; granddaughters, Erin and Evie Flock and Molly and Ruby Hall; and a host of friends in Kingsport and England. Born Christmas Eve 1946, Tony was the only child of Frank and Lucy Hewitt and grew up in Hove, Sussex, England, where he was educated and received a degree in engineering. When first married to his wife Judy, he moved to the north of England where he managed crews working on gas pipelines. He and Judy had two daughters, Emma and Beth. Tony met his wife, Jackie, while working for Mobil Oil Refinery in the South East of England. They were married in 1986 and adopted their daughter, Lucy, named after his mother, in 1997. Shortly after Lucy’s adoption, Tony went to work for British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) at the company’s then newest location in Kingsport, Tennessee as Director of Economic Development, HR in 1998. He retired from the company in 2017. When he first arrived in Kingsport, whenever he spoke in his soft-British accent, people inevitably looked at him and said, “You ain’t from around here, er you?” He would just laugh, and answer, “No, but I sure love it here.” In fact, Tony and Jackie had a love so deep for Kingsport that the family became U.S. citizens in 2011. It didn’t take Tony long to make his mark on Kingsport and create a new home for he, Jackie, and Lucy. In his role with BAE, it was Tony’s job to help the new British BAE executive team become members of the Kingsport community. He led the effort admirably and immediately became involved with the Downtown Kingsport Association and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. He worked with Fun Fest and Leadership, was a member of the Chamber Foundation and Chamber Board of Directors. In 2008, he was elected President of the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. He Also thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with the American Red Cross helping to put up fire detectors. In his private life, Tony looked forward to a good party and a fine glass of wine. “Dad loved the nice things in life,” Beth remembered. And those finer things in life extended to his wardrobe as well. “Dad had good taste and always liked to look his best,” Emma added. Throughout his life, Tony had many hobbies—woodworking, skiing, bowling, mountain biking, fly fishing, and golf. No matter the hobby, Tony went all out and was always perfectly “kitted” with all the gear to boot. When Lucy became interested in horses, Tony joined her in the saddle, learning to ride Western and cutting cows. His number one love though was Formula One racing, and he introduced Emma and Beth to the sport as youngsters, often taking them to practice days at Brands Hatch. This love remained true to the end. In his final days, Tony enthusiastically set his alarm clock early so he could catch Formula One racing on the television. Tony faced his illness with a can-do attitude and a smile on his face, always displaying remarkable strength, determination and positivity. In writing of Tony’s passing, Miles Burdine, president and CEO, Kingsport Chamber wrote: “Tony was one of the most admired and liked people in our community. He was fun. He was loyal. He was sincere. He was humble. He had a warm and caring heart. “His desire to help others was well-known and greatly appreciated. He was a superb business leader and respected businessman. Tony was not from here, but he loved Kingsport and Kingsport loved him back. We lost a good man today, but I am confident that he arrived in Heaven wearing his wonderful smile and asking ‘How can I help?’” Due to the recent surge of COVID-19, the family will hold a joyful memorial service at a later date. It is the family’s hope that in the near future, family and friends near and far can gather to celebrate the life of Tony Hewitt—a life well lived. Memorial donations may be made to The American Cancer Society in Tony's honor. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Antony Barry Hewitt, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.