David C. Waters, 92, former Pawleys Island resident
June 6, 2024
David Clagett Waters of Chapel Hill, N.C., died June 3 surrounded by his family. He was 92. He was remembered for his deep faith in God, encyclopedic knowledge of sports, fascinating stories, and his kindness, generosity and service to others.
Born July 26, 1931, in Germantown, Md., he was the son of Eugene Hill Waters and Eloise Clagett Waters. The youngest of four children, David grew up on a family farm outside of Washington, D.C. There he cultivated a lifelong love of the outdoors – hunting, fishing and gardening and a passion for sports.
He chose his college, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sight unseen, due to listening to Tar Heel football games on the radio. He remained an avid Tar Heel sports fan through life.
Mr. Waters graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1953. A political science major, he wrote for the Daily Tar Heel and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Following graduation, he served as a special agent in the Army Counterintelligence Corps before beginning a career of more than 35 years with Procter and Gamble.
While with P&G in Cincinnati, he held volunteer leadership roles in both church and civic endeavors; and served his alma mater through membership on the board of the UNC General Alumni Association and the Educational Foundation. He continued his personal involvement in retirement.
When he retired from Procter and Gamble in 1991, Mr. Waters and his wife, Marion, established residence at Pawleys Island, their annual summer destination throughout marriage. They met on Pawleys Island and Mr. Waters said he fell in love with both the island and the girl on the same night.
He was a communicant of All Saints Church where he chaired the cemetery committee, preserving the beauty of the historic grounds.
Mr. Waters was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Kentucky Colonels, the Winyah Indigo Society, the Pawleys Island Yacht Club and the Georgetown Cotillion.
The couple moved to Chapel Hill in 2004.
In addition to his wife of 63 years, Marion Cathcart Waters, he is survived by his son, David Clagett Waters Jr. (Leslie) of Umatilla, Fla.; his daughters, Elizabeth Cathcart Waters Sprinkle (Ralph) of Pawleys Island and Marion Eloise Waters Porter (Logan) of Greensboro, N.C.; his grandchildren, David Clagett “Clay” III (Lansdon) and Andrew Daniel Waters (Nicole), Elizabeth “Libba” Cathcart Sprinkle, and Marion McMaster, Sarah Frances, Henry Logan and Ruth Waters Porter; and his great-grandchildren, Ellis Clagett and Wyatt Spear Waters.
A funeral service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at All Saints Church.
Memorials may be made to the church, 3560 Kings River Rd., Pawleys Island, SC 29585 or the Salvation Army, PO Box 1330, Durham, NC 27702.
Condolences may be sent at ridgewayfh.com.
