Hoisington remembered for humanity, love

Date: 6/14/2007

By Schuyler Kropf
The Post and Courier
Thursday, June 14, 2007

Solicitor Ralph Hoisington was remembered for his humanity, humor and adventurous nature during a funeral service Wednesday that drew hundreds of friends and family to a chapel on the campus of The Citadel.

"He got life, he took note," said Scarlett Wilson, chief deputy solicitor, who worked alongside Hoisington for more than six years.

"He appreciated things well before he knew the end was near for him," she said.

Hoisington, the elected prosecutor for Charleston and Berkeley counties, died Saturday, six months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 59.

Judges, attorneys, law enforcement officers and court staffers from all over the 9th Circuit and the state attended the service, filling Summerall Chapel.

Although there were some remembrances of Hoisington's legal skills, most of the speakers recalled his easygoing manner. Close friend attorney Steve Schmutz spoke of a time decades ago when he thought Hoisington was the "coolest" person he'd ever met, in part because of his nomadic, hitchhiking lifestyle long before law school.

"He took the path he wanted to take, one full of love and adventure," Schmutz said. "And he ended up a great success."

During his career, Hoisington served as an assistant solicitor in Charleston, an assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division in Charleston, a deputy solicitor and as a municipal judge for Mount Pleasant. He worked as a private practice lawyer for 12 years before winning the solicitor's post as a Republican in 2000. He leaves a wife, Michele, and two young sons, Tanner and Walker.

Charleston lawyer Bart Daniel, another close friend, said despite his illness, Hoisington talked about how lucky he was to live the life he had.

"He never complained or moaned or cursed his fate," Daniel said.

Attorney General Henry McMaster presented the American flag from the coffin to Hoisington's family, and Mount Pleasant police offered a three-volley salute.

A successor will be named by Gov. Mark Sanford to finish the remainder of Hoisington's elected term, which ends next year.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at skropf@postandcourier.com or 937-5551.

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