John Robert Hunt

John Robert Hunt, 85, of Bradenton, FL, passed away of natural causes on November 2, 2010. John was born May 7, 1925, to Marshall and Marie Hunt. His life was a rich tapestry of experiences. He grew up with his sister, Betty Marie, in Bend Oregon, where he spent much of his time on a family ranch and swimming in the little Deschutes River and where John learned to cook the world's greatest ranch pancakes. After high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and became a decorated officer, serving his country honorably as a navigator/bombardier in a B29 during the Korean War. His crewmates gave him the nickname "the Kosa Kid." Following the war, he returned to school and completed a master's degree in Oil Painting at the University of Washington and a second master's degree from Ohio State a few years later. John then taught high school art classes in Gig Harbor and Everett for several years, where he met and married Nancy Peterson. In 1959 he headed to Poitier France, followed by several locations in Germany, to teach in the DODD's school system for the next 30 years. Then in the '90s he was an instructor at the University of Maryland in Germany. While in Europe, he visited and studied many of the great works of art and architecture of France, Italy, and Germany. His love of cathedrals meant he never passed one without a quick visit. He always made his kids "catch" the colored light on the floor from the stained glass to make a wish. He formed some of his most important and lasting relationships overseas. John retired to Florida where he led an active life. He attended many cultural events and worked as a fierce democrat while not neglecting the beautiful gulf coast sunsets with a sundowner, swimming, and the daily feeding of his back yard herons George and Rex. But above everything, the thickest threads in his tapestry were his friends. By far his greatest treasures were the relationships in his life. He was colorful, intelligent, witty, and maybe even bawdy at times, but always entertaining. He was a great story teller. John loved his family dearly and will be greatly missed by his sister Betty Marie Hunt of Bend, OR; daughter Pamela vonderLuft and husband Andrew of Vancouver, WA, son James Hunt and wife Debbie of Ocean Springs, MS, son John Hunt and wife Jill of Fall City, WA, and daughter Deirdre Gillis of Salinas, CA. He also enjoyed his 12 grandchildren: Johannes, Anya, Victor, Galena, Lydia, Karl, Greta, Peter, and Iona vonderLuft; Megan Hunt; and Savannah and John "Jack" Hunt (III). In lieu of flowers the family asks that a donation be made to one of the following charities in his name; Sarasota Orchestra, the Sierra Club, or the ACLU. The family can be contacted at c/o James Hunt PO Box 1201, Ocean Springs MS 39566