Residents in the Piedmont area were stunned Monday morning as news spread that State Representative Lea Fite had died.

Fite, 54, died at his home Monday morning at 7:30 after apparently suffering a heart attack.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Iron City Baptist Church The Fite family will receive friends Wednesday at Gray Brown Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m.

Fite was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2002 after serving on the Calhoun County Commission. And although he was a politician, Fite was also known as one of the state's top grocery store owners.

"We are losing a good man," said County Commissioner James "Pappy" Dunn. "He always appeared to be a man of good vision, a man of wonderful personality, and you couldn't expect a better person to run a business like he was doing.

"I think Lea would want to be remembered first as a good citizen, secondly as a man who participated in city and county affairs that meant growth and development in our community."

Eli Henderson also served on the County Commission with Fite.

"I knew Lea for a long, long time. He was always helping people in our community though his store out there in Wellborn. He was always a giving person," said Henderson.

Henderson said he convinced Fite to run for County Commissioner.

"He always tried to help people who couldn't help themselves and help the poor," Henderson said. "So, I thought he would make an excellent county commissioner, and he did.

"He was always good at helping people reach their goals, particularly in our Wellborn community and throughout the county. He was always there for me. I never called him when he wasn't available to help."

Another county commissioner — Rudy Abbott — was saddened by the loss of his friend.

"I lost a great friend and our community lost a person who really loved this community and did everything he could to help it," Abbott said. "I could never remember asking him to help on any project where he didn't help."

An avid supporter of area schools, Fite helped Piedmont City Schools secure the money used to build the new Career Tech Center and Community Storm Shelters.

Fite also donated steaks and potatoes from his stores for a cook out the school system hosted for city employees that helped in the construction of the buildings.

"With Lea, he was always asking what could he do," Superintendent Matt Akin said. "He was always looking to help. Our school system was better off because of Lea Fite. He never told you 'no.' That's the kind of person you want representing you in Montgomery; He's going to look out for your schools and community. I felt like he was a part of this community and really cared about us.

"If he didn't know how to help us, he knew somebody to help us. He always went the extra mile."

Calhoun County coroner Pat Brown said Fite probably suffered a myocardial infarction, also know as a heart attack. However, an autopsy will be performed.

Fite was co-owner of the Food Outlet grocery chain with stores in Calhoun and St. Clair counties.

Local politicians also respected him.

"Lea has been incredible to the city of Piedmont," Piedmont mayor Brian Young said, "Lea did a lot with his personal business too. I think sometimes people took at as he was coming from his representative side but a lot of it came from his personal side that Lea personally gave back to the community. To me that means a lot more than the other. Lea was always giving to Piedmont."

In Montgomery, Fite, who was a Democrat, was well respected by his colleagues.

"We were on different parties. We might not vote together and have different opinions on things, but we were still best friends," said Representative Randy Wood. "I think one of the things that he did that he was most proud of was when he passed the legislation requiring insurance companies to fund screening for breast cancer. I think that really tickled him to know that he could do something to make life better for other individuals."

Fite is survived by his wife, Judy, and four children: Laurie, Wes, Trae, and Jerrod.

The Piedmont Journal's Patrick Swafford contributed to story.