‘Landslide Larry,’ who helped shape modern Fort Mill, remembered for devotion to the town
In many ways, Larry Huntley typified the town he helped shape through 14 years on the Fort Mill Town Council. He wasn’t from here, but he found a home in Fort Mill and worked tirelessly to make it better.
Huntley died Feb. 16 at age 87. He leaves behind a much different, and much larger, community than the one he was first elected to serve in 2007. He was a staunch advocate for better roads, and for annexation when it meant town control over growth that was bound to happen anyway.
“Larry Huntley was a devoted man,” said Mayor Guynn Savage, who served alongside Huntley for most of his time on the council. “He was devoted to his faith, his family, his friends and his community.”
Huntley preferred an actual conversation to an online one, but he’d rather take a breakfast meeting with friends as his preferred way to keep up with the town.
“Larry was determined to listen to his constituents, to attend all meetings and to search for ways to better serve,” Savage said.
Votes that defined Fort Mill
Huntley won a special election in 2007 by a mere 18 votes. But it wouldn’t be long before his own votes would start to shape a growing town.
In 2008, after heated debate, the town moved away from its long-time and privately run Fest-i-Fun in favor of a town-run Springfest, a forerunner of today’s massive South Carolina Strawberry Festival.
Later that year, Fort Mill doubled in size with the annexation of more than 5,000 acres. Some of that property became Kingsley.
Town decisions in Huntley’s time range from the once-discussed annexation of parts of Indian Land to a contentious proposal for a new bridge across the Catawba River between Rock Hill and Fort Mill. Huntley spoke out against the bridge saying it would only move traffic from Celanese Road in Rock Hill to Sutton Road in Fort Mill.
Regional road planners eventually scrapped the idea.
Huntley voted against town impact fees in 2015 over concerns they might hurt new business growth and not just the residential construction the town aimed to slow. The next year he vote for annexation of the late U.S. Rep. John Spratt’s property along Fort Mill Parkway, which allowed for thousands of new homes where the Elizabeth neighborhood is now.
Huntley took a common-sense approach to voting. He’d think about an issue and whatever made the most sense, that’s how he’d vote.
He’d often bring up the North Carolina drivers and cut-through traffic that impacted town roads, sometimes more than local traffic did.
When big annexation requests came up he’d point to Baxter. It was never annexed into town, but still put thousands of homes close enough for its residents to use town roads, schools and other services.
Many of the communities built in recent years or under construction now were approved during Huntley’s time on council. The year he was first elected, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Fort Mill had 9,975 residents. The most recent estimate, for the population as of mid-2023, is 33,626 people.
A welcoming figure in Fort Mill
Elected service was supposed to be a retirement gig.
Huntley, a Mecklenburg County native, wrapped up a long engineering and operations career in 2001 when he left a plant manager role at construction material maker Boral Brick in Van Wyck. He’s also served a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army and a Captain in the Army Reserve.
In Fort Mill, Huntley became a local authority despite moving to the community later in life.
Chris Moody, who served alongside Huntley on council starting in 2016, recalled Huntley’s invitation to breakfast gatherings with late former Mayor Charlie Powers and other civic leaders.
“These men were 40 years older than me but always welcomed me to the table,” Moody said.
Huntley and his wife Patsy were regular members at Unity Presbyterian Church, and founding members of the Fort Mill History Museum. Huntley was part of the local Lions Club and other civic groups.
Huntley used informal settings to get the pulse of his community.
‘Landslide Larry’
He also used humor to settle sometimes contentious issues. He’d often tell the story of that first 18-vote win, calling himself “Landslide Larry.” Part of the reason Huntley loved in-person breakfast meetings was to share a joke, Savage said, or to offer a hug to make someone smile.
After his narrow first election, Huntley ran his next campaign unopposed.
Over the years he’d sometimes run against challengers and sometimes retain his council seat simply by filing for it. When he did face competition, Huntley often said he was happy to let the people of Fort Mill look at his service record and decide for themselves whether he should keep the job.
He figured his record was the fairest way to judge his work. Now, that record is complete.
“Larry adored his family and was fiercely loyal,” Savage said. “We all loved Larry, and our community and world was blessed by his life.”
Wolfe Funeral Home in Fort Mill is serving the Huntley family. A funeral service will be held there at noon on Friday.
