Captain Paul Hayes (Tud) Hight, age 90 passed away peacefully in Crump, Tennessee. He lived a remarkably full, adventurous, and entrepreneurial life, retiring a total of three times before finally hanging up his captain’s hat for good.
Early life and Early Hustle
Born on May 13, 1936, in Morris Chapel, Tennessee, Paul was the son of Will and Devora Hight. He grew up in Morris Chapel, attending grades 1 through 12 and graduating in 1954 in a close-knit class of just nine students. Shortly after graduation, he traveled to Nashville to attend welding and air conditioning schools. After a brief return home, he set out for Houston, Texas, where his legendary work ethic took root. In Houston, Paul did whatever it took to make a living, from selling fireworks out of the trunk of his car to working in a blacksmith shop, a can factory, and driving a dump truck.
Life on the Water
In 1956, Paul found his true calling when he started working for Horton and Horton on the Houston Ship Channel. He quickly earned a captain’s position, commanding the Maye a 140-horsepower, single-screw wooden tug pushing wooden barges. By 1968, he was named Captain of the MV American Beauty for her maiden voyage, transporting grain between St. Louis and New Orleans on the Mississippi River. In 1969 he earned his first Mariners license @ the Helena Marine Academy.
Always looking for his next venture, Paul built a 40-foot steel-hull “bum” boat in his Savannah, Tennessee backyard with the help of his father-in-law between river trips. He operated the boat at the busy confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, catching moving towboats to sell cigarettes, candy and supplies to mariners. His business cards famously read, “Anything but Babes, Booze and Checks Cashed.” When he realized the Cairo Harbor was reputedly controlled by organized crime, a few tense visits convinced him it was best to bring his boat back home to Savannah.
In 1974, Paul moved his family to New Orleans, Louisiana, to take an office position operating the Kenner Bend Fleet. While there, he became a founding member of the Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association, which remains active today. In 1976, he joined the Associated Federal Pilots, piloting American flagged steamships and ocean going vessels between the Gulf of America and Baton Rouge. He served as both Vice President and President of the association for many years. As President he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole to the board of the first Lower Mississippi River Safety Advisory Committee that still exists today. While living in New Orleans Captain Hight started and ran a successful barge washing and top side repair business, bought a previously sunken supply boat which he rebuilt himself and put into service working out of Morgan City. He owned and operated as many as 8 open Hopper River Barges.
A couple of years after the heartbreaking loss of his first wife of 31 years, Meta. Captain Paul retired for the first time in 1991. He moved back to Tennessee and dove headfirst into real estate, developing many of the Tennessee River lot subdivisions in Savannah.
Following the passing of his parents, Paul and his new wife Cheryl, moved to Colorado, where they successfully opened and operated 5 Cash Advance/Pawn stores across different towns. After selling the businesses and returning to Tennessee, the river called him back. At the age of 75, he renewed his captain’s license and began “tripping” on towboats again, working until his second retirement at age 83. Two years later, he was back at it, developing the Hardin Landing subdivision on the Tennessee River. In 2024. At the age of 88, he retired for the third and final time.
Passions and Legacy
Paul was a man who loved a road trip and was always ready for the next adventure, eventually driving through every single U.S. state except Hawaii. He loved to fish and hunt elk, but his absolute favorite pastime was playing poker. Generous to a fault, Paul thought of himself as a bank of sorts, frequently handing out low-interest loans to those in need. When many of those loans went unpaid, he simply shrugged and remarked that they must have needed the money more than he did.
Family
Captain Hight was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Devora Hight; his siblings, Bettye Jean, John, Joann, and Sam; and his first wife Meta Koch Hight.
He is survived by his beloved wife of years Cheryl Hight of 31 years; his children, Debbie, Rodney (Donna) and Paula (Vance); his grandchildren, Austin (Korey) Jesse, and Meta (Kenny); and his five great-grandchildren, Murphy, Cooper, Hayes, Chandler and Francesca.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, 935 Wayne Rd. Savannah, TN 38372
