COL Samuel Michael Hinton, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Samuel Michael "Mike" Hinton passed away peacefully on July 18, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 82.

Mike was born in Washington, D.C., and spent many of his formative years in Jasper, Alabama. He attended the University of Montevallo and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1965. He was commissioned to the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and served in Vietnam. Upon returning from Vietnam, while stationed in Washington, D.C., and singing in a church choir, Mike met the love of his life LaVerne Cayton. Mike and LaVerne married in Thailand in 1970 and continued singing together throughout their 55-year marriage.

Mike and Laverne were proud parents of two daughters, Shanna and Heather Hinton, and grandparents to Samuel Flory. Throughout his life, Mike exemplified faith, service, and community. Known for his friendly nature, Mike never met a stranger and always sought to bring a smile to others' faces. Mike's sense of humor, his kindness, his generosity, and his devotion to the Alabama Crimson Tide lives on through all who loved him.

Mike had a distinguished military career, serving a total of 27 years, 11 months, and 28 days. Throughout his service, Mike and his family were stationed in Thailand, Texas, Washington, Germany, Kentucky, and Hawaii. Through the Army, Mike earned a Master of Public Service from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Public Health from Baylor University. Mike retired from the Army with the rank of colonel in 1993. After his retirement, Mike and his family settled in San Antonio, Texas.

Mike was a lifelong devotee of Sacred Harp music and was forever humming a tune. He was a grandson of the legendary Sacred Harp singer, teacher, and composer Thomas Jackson Denson. Mike was a great and much-loved ambassador of goodwill for the Sacred Harp tradition. Mike served as Chair of the Texas State Convention, the Southwest Texas Convention, Rusk County Convention, and Coker Singing Convention. In 2002, Mike was elected president of the Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, serving steadfastly in that capacity until his passing. In 2018, during Mike's tenure as president, the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Board of Directors unanimously approved a revision of their 1991 edition of The Sacred Harp, available in September 2025.

Mike will be buried with military honors at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery on Wednesday, August 6th at 11am.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place at Coker Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, October 4th at 10am. A reception at Coker will follow this service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Sacred Harp Publishing Company at originalsacredharp.com.