A familiar face to hundreds of Chattooga County residents passed away on Wednesday.  Mr. Hoyt Williams was known to younger generations of area residents as a familiar face at Wal-Mart, despite being decades passed traditional retirement age.

Mr. Hoyt was born in Trion in 1923 and graduated from Trion High School in 1942.  Williams had a distinguished military career, serving as an Army engineer in both the European and South Pacific Campaigns of World War II.  He was at the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France and served in Germany, Belgium and England leading up to the surrender of Germany.  Later he continued fighting for his country in the Philippines where he was stationed until the Japanese surrendered.

After returning home from the war, Mr. Hoyt operated a grocery business for many years.  Mr. Williams served as the Mayor of Trion and also served on the Trion Board of Education and the Chattooga County Water District Board.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Mason Funeral Home.

Mr. Hoyt was 98.