Jack Hudson Sr

Mr. Jack Hudson, Sr. 84, resident of Pleasant Drive and retired from Monsanto Chemical Company, died Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at NHC Hillview. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church with Rev. Bob Vassar and Rev. Jody Gamble officiating. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4 - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00a.m. until 12:00p.m. at the church. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. Mr. Hudson was born in Florence, Alabama and graduated from Haleyville High School where he was an all-around athlete. Though a productive ballcarrier in football, he earned his most notoriety in baseball. He also played basketball and ran track. His father died when he was a baby and money was tight so when the professional scouts offered him a place on the Detroit Tigers franchise in 1948 he signed on the dotted line rather than attend college at Auburn, Alabama or Mississippi State who were all interested in him. Hudson played in Rome, New York A. He was then sold to the St. Louis Cardinals where he played a year at Goldsboro, North Carolina in the Carolina League. Bothered by injury, Hudson returned to Haleyville to recuperate. He was playing independent baseball in the Decatur area when Monsanto came to play and Monsanto manager Billy Clymore liked what he saw in Hudson. Jack quickly received a job offer with Monsanto Chemical Company and a chance to play for the Maulers. A "dyed-in-the-wool" Alabama football fan, Jack enjoyed talking about the Tide and about athletics at Columbia Central High where his daughter, Debbie Hudson Sewell played basketball; his oldest son, Jackie, played baseball and his youngest son, Mike, played football on the 1977 playoff football team. Jack umpired Little League and softball for over forty years and also continued to play on the Monsanto Baseball Team. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a longtime member of Pleasant Heights Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife of over 60 years, Jo Doris Murphy Hudson of Columbia; two daughters, Debbie (Eddie) Sewell and Terri Hudson McMeen both of Columbia; two sons, Jack (Elaine) Hudson, Jr. and Mike (Rhonda) Hudson both of Columbia; grandchildren, David (Leslie) Hudson, Jaye (Andrew) Buckle, Jeremy (Katie) Prince, Kristi Jo (Adam) Hall, Jaclyn (Brian) Huckaby, John (Tara) McMeen, Dillon Hudson, Delaney Hudson; and twelve great-grandchildren. Active pallbearers will be David Hudson, Jeremy Prince, John McMeen, Dillon Hudson, Lonnie Roberts, Richard "Rick" Jenkins, Danny "Wilbur" Davis, Lewis P. "Buddy" Martin, Charles Tisher and Brian Huckaby. Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Paul Perryman, Robert Belew, Ray Locke, the Men's Sunday School Class at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church, Monsanto Employees, and former Monsanto Maulers Baseball and Softball