Rev. Ernest Cannon McCreary

The Reverend Ernest Cannon McCreary, 97, of Greenville died peacefully on Friday, March 22, 2024.
Born in Kentucky and raised in Aiken, SC, Cannon was the son of the late Ernest Abercrombie and Clara Marie Cannon McCreary. Cannon served two years in the United States Navy after which he attended The University of the South and Virginia Theological Seminary.
With a deep care for people and a humble, contemplative spirit, Cannon served the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina for 35 years, including as Chaplain to State Institutions and as clergy at Christ Church, Greenville. In retirement, Cannon volunteered for Hospice and the Literacy Council in Hendersonville, NC., at Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center with his wife, Ethel, and led painting workshops at The Woodlands in his final years.
Cannon enjoyed many creative years at his home near Ceaser’s Head, where he was a prolific writer, painter, and hiker. Cannon was especially fond of Pisgah and the Carolina foothills. His appreciation of these landscapes lives on through the sketches, paintings, poems, and notes he left to loved ones that were inspired by his faith and favorite places.
Cannon’s living family includes: his children Margaret Wright Llewellyn of Augusta, GA, Ashley Lewis Reynolds (Tom) of Greenville, and Timothy Russell McCreary (Megan) of Richmond, VA; and his five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents and wife, Ethel, Cannon was preceded in death by his daughter, Marie Cannon Auferio; his grandson, Roy Smith; and his brother, James Robert McCreary.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. until 3:45 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal in the All-Saints building, with the memorial service to follow at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
Interment will be held in the McCreary family plot at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, South Carolina at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his memory to Christ Church Episcopal by visiting www.ccgsc.org/give or to St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken by visiting www.stthaddeus.org/give.
Friends are encouraged to share their favorite memories of Cannon with the family by clicking the “Leave a Message, Share a Memory” link.