Isle of Palms Magazine, Summer 2016

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Isle of Palms Connector.
“You had 1,200 to 1,800 people on the island. Being
a fireman, I knew evacuation and the danger of getting
trapped was a major problem,” he pointed out.
When Capper, his longtime friend, passed away in
1980, a year-and-a-half after being reelected mayor, Cable
ran successfully for his unexpired term. He then went on
to defeat challenger Carmen Bunch in 1981 to win his
own full term outright. He left office in 1985.
In the 30+ years since stepping down as mayor, Cable
has kept busy. After retiring from his job at a cement
company, Cable purchased his own shrimp boat, the “Lil’
Bit,” hired an experienced shrimper to captain the craft
and often served on his employee’s crew. The commercial
venture, which lasted five years, was partly successful.
“I didn’t make a lot of damn money,” Cable joked.
“But we caught a lot of damn shrimp.”
In honor of his advocacy for local shrimpers, his
peers chose Cable to serve as vice president of the South
Carolina Shrimpers Association.
With son Len and daughter Linda raised, Cable and
his wife continued to enjoy their waterfront life until
Martha passed in 2009, after 59 years of marriage. A
few years later, in his late 80s, at an age when other men
might be tempted to grab a favorite chair and fix their
thoughts on the past, Cable’s future took a completely
unexpected turn. One Sunday about four years ago, he
decided to skip the service at his usual church and go
to Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church, where Martha liked
to attend. There he spied the former Norma Morris, a
woman he had watched grow up over the years.
“She told me, ‘The last time your wife visited, she
was sitting right here beside me.’ I hugged her, and we
both cried.”
After chatting a while, the widower remembered that
he had prepared a lunch for after the service and decided
to press his luck: “I’ve got a little pot roast cooking at
home,” he told her.
“When she didn’t respond at first, I thought, ‘Oh hell,
I’ve overdone it.’ But then she leaned over and said, ‘I’d
love to.’”
After that, according to Cable, “She was in my kitchen
every Sunday afternoon until I convinced her to stay.”
Today, at age 90, Cable and his wife Norma – a
talented painter – continue to live on one of the two
lots he bought from Arthur Ravenel in 1957. Though
Darlene Smith
Carolina One Real Estate
1503 Palm Blvd., Isle of Palms, SC 29451-2280
843-696-7824
|
Extraordinary home with great views of theWando River and
the National Forest! Custom built with exceptional features
including a large front porch, formal entry with picturesque
views of the open water, kitchen is open to the Great Room
with natural light and custom moldings. Lots of custom
cabinetry, gas fireplace in Great Room and a spacious
Dining Room. Elevator to all levels, master bedroom on first
floor with views, double closets, master bath with large tile
floors. Deep water boat dock and beautiful swimming pool.
Opening Doors
ON ISLE OF PALMS AND CHARLESTON