The ATA is saddened to report that ATA Southern Zone Vice President John D. Hiter of Snellville, GA passed away at his home on Sunday, July 25, 2010. He is survived by his devoted wife of 24 years, Virginia A. Hiter; a son, David Hiter and his wife Teresa, of Durham, N.C.; daughter, Debra Hiter, of Sussex, N.J.; stepson, Eric Zinn, of Atlanta, Ga.; brother-in-law, Alan (Jan) Landeck, of Niles; sister-in-law, Dorothy Kraft, of Plymouth, Ind.; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
John served three years in the United States Marine Corps before going to work for the Kawneer Co., where he worked for 38 years, retiring as the chief pilot of their flight department. An avid trapshooter, John was inducted into the Georgia Trapshooting Hall of Fame. As Georgia's ATA Delegate for 20 years and ATA Southern Zone Vice President for four years, John worked tirelessly to promote and advance the sport of trapshooting. John will be greatly missed by his family and all that have had the opportunity to meet and know him.
A memorial service celebrating the life of John Hiter will be held Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 11 a.m. at Tom M. Wages Snellville Chapel with the Rev. J. Robert Thompson Jr. officiating, and military honors will be rendered.Members of the Amateur Trapshooting Association will serve as an honorary escort.
The family will receive friends on Friday, July 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Those desiring may make donations to Samaritan’s Purse (Franklin Graham Ministry), P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.
Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.wagesfuneralhome.com.
Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, LLC, Snellville, Ga. (770) 979-3200, is in charge of arrangements.
JOHN D. HITER SHOOTING CAREER
John Hiter became the nineteenth Georgian to be inducted into the Georgia Trapshooting Hall of Fame. At the age of 42, John joined the ATA in June 1982 and began registering targets, accumulated five hundred singles and four hundred handicap targets by the end of that target year. His first trap gun was a Winchester Y model 12, which he used for all events including doubles. In the ensuing 23 years to date, he has registered a total of 107,950 singles, 92,675 Handicap and 73,250 Doubles targets. To date, John has won ninety-four trophies in State, Zone and Satellite Grand tournaments. In 1990 John won the State Doubles championship along with the open High All Around and in 1994 captured the Alabama open High Over All. The 1995 Georgia State Budweiser Handicap championship; 1997 state singles runner/up and 2000 state doubles runner/up titles were also won by John. In addition he has won four state AA and four A class singles titles along with three AA and three A class High Over All's in singles. John won his first Satellite Grand trophy in 2000 by winning the class A runner/up at the Western Grand in the Doubles Championship.
Since entering the Veteran's Category in 2003, John has won forty-three category trophies including Veteran State Singles in 2003 and 2004. Veteran State Doubles trophies in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Southern Grand wins include the 2003 Veteran Class Doubles trophy; the 2004 Class Doubles runner/up; the 2004 Veteran Doubles championship and class AA High All Around. Other wins are the Georgia state 2003 and 2004 Veteran High All Around and the 2004 and 2005 Veteran High Over All, 2006 Veteran Doubles Champion, 2007 Veteran Preliminary Doubles, 2008 Senior Veteran All Around. 2007 Southern Zone Veteran Singles Class, 2008 Southwest Grand American Senior Veteran Class Doubles, 2008 Grand American Senior Veteran Runner Up Doubles, 2009 Dixie Grand American Senior Veteran Runner up Doubles and Singles.
• John has been named to the Georgia State trap team sixteen consecutive years and named Captain on the 1998, 2003 and 2004 teams.
• Named to the Veteran All-American second team in 2005.
• Awarded the AA-27-AA and the Quarter Million target pins in 2004.
John was elected second Alternate Delegate in 1990, Alternate Delegate 1991 and has been the GA ATA Delegate since 1992.
Enshrined September 2005
Career Target Attainment
Singles: 106,750
Handicap: 91,650
Doubles: 72,550