Carlos “Hudson” Cone
February 15, 1939 – May 12, 2026
Carlos “Hudson” Cone, 87, of Elberton, Ga., passed away on May 12, 2026, at Magnolia Estates after a lengthy illness.
Mr. Cone was born February 15, 1939, in Cairo, Ga., to the late Carlos Lionel Cone and Kate Hudson Cone. He was a member of the Elberton First Methodist Church and was a Charter Member of the Cross Talk Sunday School Class. He served in the U.S. Navy and his ship, the USS NANTAHALA, was part of the blockade fleet during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
A graduate of the University of Georgia Henry W. Grady School of Journalism, he served as News Editor of the Bremen Gateway newspaper in Bremen, Ga. and later as Wire Editor and State News Editor of the Albany Herald in Albany, Ga. He became Promotions Director of the Elberton Granite Association, the nation’s largest granite industry trade association, where he worked 33 years before retirement in 2006. His varied marketing duties included editing the Elberton Graniteer magazine, the granite industry’s most widely-circulated trade publication.
An avid Georgia Bulldog and Elbert County Comprehensive High School Blue Devil fan, he was an organizer and long-time President of the Elbert County Bulldog Club. He received the UGA Bulldog Club’s “President’s Award” for outstanding contributions to the community and UGA from 1986 to 2004 and also the coveted “Dan McGill Award” in 2001 for dedication and loyalty to the Bulldogs and UGA. He was also a member of the Touchdown Club of Athens and the UGA Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame organization.
He served as President of the ECCHS True Blue Boosters Club in 1995-96 and was named the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce’s “Booster of the Year” in recognition of his support for the 1995 State Champion football and track teams. In 2007, he received the Chamber’s “Spirit Award” for his activities on behalf of local athletics. Other civic endeavors included membership in the Bremen and Albany Jaycees. A decades-long member of the Elberton Kiwanis Club, he was also a past member of the Elberton Elks Lodge. He was also Chairman of the Elbert County Council on Drug Abuse, a court-appointed, blue-ribbon panel researching and warning of the growing local epidemic of illegal drug use.
Known as “Huddie” or “Hut”, Mr. Cone had an affable, outgoing personality and enjoyed humorous – often self-depreciating – stories and anecdotes. As a representative of the Elberton Granite Association, he attended conventions and sales meetings throughout the U.S., and considered acquiring many industry-related friends as among his most rewarding professional accomplishments.
Following retirement, Hudson traveled extensively in the plains and western states. Also, due to their deep appreciation of U.S. history, he and his former UGA roommate and close friend, the late U.S. Army Col. Jack Thompson (ret.), a member of the Ga. Military Veterans Hall of Fame, visited numerous Civil War Battlefields and historical sites throughout the U.S. He also loved hunting and fishing, and revered Elbert County’s abundant woodlands and lakes.
Survivors include a daughter, Julie Cone Lunsford of Elberton; a son, Stewart Cone of Elberton; grandchildren: Ethan and Isabella who Hudson referred to as “the center of my universe”; a brother, Gordon Cone and wife Kim of LaGrange; and a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A memorial service celebrating Mr. Cone’s life will be held Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Berry Funeral Home Chapel. The family will greet friends immediately following the service.
Mr. Cone requested that in lieu of flowers and/or other honorariums, family, friends, or others interested are requested to take a young person(s) to church, hunting, fishing and/or to a UGA Athletic Event in his memory.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.berryfh.com. Berry Funeral Home & Crematory of Elberton, Ga. is respectfully in charge of arrangements for Mr. Carlos “Hudson” Cone. If you have any questions, please contact Berry Funeral Home, Telephone 706-283-5142.
