Catherine Marie Hunt
December 18, 1923 - January 5, 2005
Obituary
Catherine Marie Hunt dies at 81.
Catherine died of complications of Lung Cancer, Wednesday morning, January 5, 2005. Catherine Hunt lived a full life and in doing so fulfilled her life’s dream of teaching children. She had the rare ability to challenge the most gifted students, the average students and the children with learning problems, all at the same time. She usually had multiple activities going on in the classroom simultaneously.
She vowed to get her first teaching job in Washington state before she was 50. While her youngest child was in high school, Catherine started back to school at the local community college and then continued her studies at the University of Washington, during the peak of the Vietnam War protests that included building sit-ins. Over time as she watched these protests and when young people were killed in her community, she softened her attitude about a “just war”.
She did indeed get her first teaching job by age 50 at the grade school up the street from her home where her children had attended. She was laid off one year later, which was devastating. However she rebounded with a job the next year at another grade school and taught 2nd and 3rd graders in three different schools. She would bristle when people would ask “Why don’t you retire? You have a doctor for a husband!” She found such contentment and self identity with teaching that she taught for another 20 years before retiring at age 70. She and her husband Eugene could be found on many a Saturday morning putting up bulletin boards and working around her classroom.
She was born Catherine Marie Green in Novinger, Missouri on December 18th, 1923 to Warner and Carrie Green. Her father worked in the mines and her mother was a homemaker. Catherine was always tall for her age, quite academically precocious and so was treated as an adult from a young age. She entered school early, skipped the 3rd grade, and graduated from college at age 20.
While a young girl she played the pump organ at church and discovered she had the gift of perfect pitch.
At the Northeast Missouri State Teachers’ College in Kirksville, she majored in music and musical education and loved singing in the a capella choir and playing trombone in the college band. She remembered fondly when Marion Anderson came to Kirksville to sing but was dismayed by the Jim Crow laws that made it illegal for Ms. Anderson to stay in a local hotel or eat in the restaurants.
She met Eugene Smith Hunt, then an osteopathic student at the Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery, and they married on September 16th, 1944. As Osteopaths were excluded from serving in the military in WWII as physicians, she and Eugene headed out to his internship in Seattle, Washington with barely enough gas rations to make it across country.
She worked various jobs while Eugene was an intern, and then helped him set up and run his office. She was a whiz at numbers and could find an accounting error just by looking at the whole sheet of figures. She taught her children to check and double check numbers, and to look for typing and spelling errors.
She had five children, was active in the PTA and ran the church school at Seattle First United Methodist Church. She also led Girl Scout Troop 19 from Brownies through Seniors. She was one of the few leaders at the time to take a troop all the way from grade school until the end of high school. Many of her troop members still get together to bake cookies for the holiday season, and go backpacking. They remember the things Catherine taught them such as a love of poetry, reading, honesty, camping and hard work with a little fun mixed in. One favorite poem of Catherine’s was “Outwitted” by Edwin Markam: He drew a circle that shut me out – heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in.
She is preceded in death by her son David Eugene Hunt and her husband Dr. Eugene Smith Hunt. She is survived by son Stephen Paul Hunt, daughter Susan Marie Hislop, son Mark Edward Hunt, daughter Ann Louise Hunt and 13 grandchildren. She recently became a great-grandmother of twins.
Memorial Service to be held at Wesley Terrace, 816 S 216th, Des Moines, WA on Saturday, January 8th, 2005 at 2:00 PM in the auditorium. Donations can be sent to: General Fund, Novinger Renewal Inc., Novinger, MO 63559 or Girl Scouts Totem Council Camping Program, P.O. Box 900961, Seattle, WA 98109. For each put in memorium of Catherine Hunt. The family has entrusted arrangements to BONNEY-WATSON Washington Memorial, 16445 International, SeaTac, WA 206 242-1787.
Was so sorry to read about Mrs. Hunt’s death. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. I am sure she is once again in the arms of her loving husband Eugene.
I’m sorry to learn of your Mother’s passing. My thoughts are with you all.
From a neighbor boy of long ago, Taylor S. Koch
Stephen, Susan, Mark and Anne and families:
We send our love, prayers, and warm memories of your dear mom.!!
The Hunt family played a big role in the McCormack kids growing up years. I have such fun memories of office picnic at Saltwater Park, Ice Follies, Billy Graham, Andy’s Diner and your dad’s “home doctor visits” when we were sick.
I still use the dictionaries they gave me for high school and college graduations.
Mom was so fortunate to have her job for so many years and so close to home.
We so enjoyed Anne’s lovely and informative Christmas letter from your mom.
Please stay in touch. Bet Your dad and mom and our mom are having a good old catch up time!!!
Sincere sympathy,
Sallee McCormack Bruce
P.S. Would love to see a picture of thoses twins. David’s son looked so omuch like David as a liitle guy–do the twins?
Dearest Sue and family:
I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your mother this year. I remember her leadership at Girl Scout roundup in Idaho. Through the years I would run into your mom and dad at Huckleberry’s, or occasionaly I would see the two of them in Burien. I know this is a very sad time for you. I have lost both of my parents now, my father in July and my mother in 2000. Just keep those fond memories of the good times you had with them to comfort you now. Take care of yourself.
Love, Alison. W.C. sends his condolences too.
I have thought of Catherine often over the years, since I still work at Salmon Creek where she spent some years in her beloved profession. I will remember her as a dedicated and optomistic teacher, with the rare consistent positive attitude about all children and an admirable work ethic. She was a great example to the rest of us, even volunteering at the school after retiring! I was honored to work with her and will hold her up as one of the truly gifted school teachers that I have known. My sympathies to the whole family, especially Sue and Claude and family.
Dear Hunt Family,
I was sorry to hear of your mothers death and hope you are able to give each other support during a difficult time. I liked and admired both of your parents. I am especially appreciative of the care they gave our family through your dad’s medical practice, especially assisting my mom through her many medical challenges. I know through both of their careers they touched many lives in this community in so many positive ways.
Sincerely, Bill Iwen