Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - January 27, 2008
Ttjensen@tribune.com
Mr. Hite, who was an HIV prevention counselor, died Monday, Jan. 14, in a car accident. He lost control of his vehicle as he tried to pass a snowplow on a slushy road in Porter, Ind., and crashed into a truck in the oncoming lane, according to a police report. Mr. Hite lived in Michigan City, Ind.
For the last two years, Mr. Hite, 53, oversaw prevention programs at Better Existence with HIV, or BEHIV, which has offices in Evanston and Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. In addition to testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, the program offers counseling and educational materials for those at-risk of the disease.
Mr. Hite specialized in "street-level outreach," going out to find the people who needed to learn more about risky behavior and the need for testing, said Eric Nelson, BEHIV's executive director.
"He had so much knowledge of the field and the need for increased testing," Nelson said.
A Champaign native, Mr. Hite moved to Chicago in the early 1980s. After testing positive for HIV, he and his partner started Image Plus. The group provided support to gay teenagers, particularly African-Americans like himself, who were struggling with issues such as acknowledging their sexuality to others, said Courtney Reid, senior director of programs at the Center on Halsted.
"That was a calling for him, to help out people who did not know who they are, or what they were all about," said his brother Darryl.
Mr. Hite, who graduated from Centennial High School in Champaign, was active in his church from an early age and earned an associate's degree from Parkland College in Champaign, his brother said.
"His approach to everyone was so full of joy and enthusiasm, it was hard not to make a connection," Reid said.
Mr. Hite is also survived by his mother, Dorothy; brothers Louis and Marvin; and a sister, Karen.
Services have been held.
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