Born in Demorest, Ga., he was the son of the late Seth Macon and Gladys Gibbs Vining. He was a member of the Tryon Congregational Church.

Seth moved to Tryon when he was three and graduated from Tryon High School and Duke University, with a time in the Army during World War II. He was a large man and stellar athlete, having played football at Duke under the legendary Wallace Wade. He was a freshman when the Rose Bowl came to the Durham campus.

He loved sports, youth, and outdoor activities. He was an Eagle Scout, Scoutmaster, Sunday School teacher, Congregational Church trustee and deacon, Little League umpire, a member of the Polk County and Region Morehead Scholarship Committee, PTA officer, and was chairman of the Tryon City School Board for eight years.

He believed in public service, having served as chief file clerk in the United States House of Representatives and eight years as a Polk County commissioner. He felt that one shouldn&squo;t serve longer than the U.S. President. He had been vice president of his Duke University senior class, president of the Duke University Kappa Alpha fraternity, president of the Tryon Chamber of Commerce, president of the Tryon Kiwanis Club, and a member of the Polk County Zoning Appeal Board and the Harmon Field Commission. He was a Democrat.

Seth had several hobbies in addition to watching his children and grandchildren. He loved to propagate azaleas, rhododendron, and camellias, play tennis and bridge. He particularly enjoyed playing bridge with his life-long friend Jim Jackson.

He was editor and later publisher of the Tryon Daily Bulletin from 1968 until his retirement in 1989. During that time he believed news should be positive and hometown papers neutral.

Seth believed in his community. You could say that family and community was his life.

Surviving is his wife of 58 years, Marjorie &dquo;Bos&dquo; Boswell Vining, four sons; Seth Alfred Vining (Cathy) of Gainesville, Ga.; James &dquo;Jim&dquo; Boswell Vining (Patrice) of Rock Hill, S.C.; John Hamilton Vining (Pam) of Tryon; and David Ralston Vining (Beth) of Chattanooga, Tenn. Eight grandchildren; Adam Fincher Vining (Jessamy) of Gainesville, Ga.; Marjorie Ann Vining of Marietta, Ga.; Benjamin &dquo;Ben&dquo; James Vining of Orlando, Fla.; William &dquo;Will&dquo; Collins Vining of Berkeley, Calif.; Seth Patrick Vining of Durham, N.C.; Kathleen &dquo;Kate&dquo; Taylor Vining, Rachel Ann Vining, and Samuel &dquo;Sam&dquo; Morris Vining of Tryon. Also surviving is a sister, Elizabeth &dquo;Libby&dquo; Vining Hanifin of Ocean Ridge, Fla. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Margaret &dquo;Marty&dquo; Ann Vining, who died in 1967.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday,

Oct. 22, 2008 at McFarland Funeral Chapel with Reverend Bob Barrows officiating.

The family is thankful to the staff of the Tryon Daily Bulletin who they worked with for many years, the Carolina Health Connections staff and the staff of the Carolina Foothills Hospice who cared for Seth these last few months.

Memorials may be made to: Hospice of the Carolinas Foothills, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, N.C. 28722.

An online guest register may be signed at www.mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com.

McFarland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

‐ paid obituary