Habersham County is mourning the loss of a longtime public servant. Lewis Canup, who served as both county administrator and, later, county engineer, passed away on Thursday, August 20, at his home in Clarkesville.
Canup built a 34-year career with the Georgia Department of Transportation before retiring and starting a second career in county government.
Friday afternoon, the county issued the following statement regarding Canup’s many years of public service:
“Mr. Canup’s impact on Habersham County and our communities cannot be overstated. As the long time Habersham County Engineer, County Manager, and DOT District Engineer, he forged a legacy that will endure for years to come. Mr. Canup was hired by Habersham County in the Spring of 1995. He then retired in the summer of 2015. Habersham County would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Canup.”
Habersham County Commission Chair Stacy Hall expressed sadness at the news of Canup’s passing. “So sorry to hear this,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for his heartfelt and steadfast service to our community. Prayers lifted for his family.”
“Mr. Lewis Canup was a true asset to Habersham County and a great help to me in my early days on the Commission,” said District 4 Commissioner Natalie Crawford. “His heart and service to this community will be felt for years to come and I’m grateful to have known him.”
Former Habersham Hospital Authority board member Jack Fulbright’s deceased mother Ruby Fulbright served as county clerk for 55 years. She worked closely with Canup during much of his tenure. “He was very respected by Mom and she felt like Lewis did more for the county than most of the elected officials,” says Fulbright. “He was definitely a key factor in the county’s progress over the years.”
Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Chan Caudell called Canup “a great man, which we know are few and far between.”
In his obituary, Canup’s family remembers him as a man of “well-founded faith” and “extremely high moral character.” Habersham County Manager Phil Sutton said of Canup, “Let us also remember Lewis as the true treasure he was. For all of us”.
Canup was preceded in death by his wife, Laraine Burke Canup, and is survived by their five children.
Graveside services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, at Hillside Gardens Cemetery in Clarkesville.
Lewis Canup was 90 years old.
