Benjamin D. Lunt

Benjamin D. Lunt, 93
SOUTH PORTLAND - Benjamin D. Lunt, 93, of South Portland, died suddenly Oct. 24, 2017, after a brief illness.
He is surviv-ed by his children, Terry A. Lunt, and her husband Thomas P. Sellers, of Ogunquit; Holly Lunt Stickney, and Daniel E. Lunt, both of South Portland; his grandchildren, Simone and Kevin Yamauchi, of Kennebunk; James and Kayla Stickney, of Standish; and Emma and Steve Thibault, of Westborough, Mass.; his great-grandchildren, Peyton Yamauchi, Taylor and Quincy Stickney; his companion, Cynthia Grady, of Cape Elizabeth, and her children; siblings, Dick and Bev Lunt, of Chelmsford, Mass.; and Peg and Dick Carmichael, of South Portland; as well as 18 nieces and nephews and their spouses and children, for whom Uncle "Beans" was a beloved and fun-loving favorite.
Born the fourth of six children, to Paul C. and Helen (Thompson) Lunt, he was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Marian (Brackett) Lunt; his sisters, Betty DuPont and Ruth Duff; and brother, James C. Lunt. At the time of her death in 1994, his mother Helen, 104, held the distinction of being the oldest living resident of South Portland.
A 1941 proud graduate of South Portland High School, he attended most football games until recent years, but still followed the teams closely. This past summer, he attended his SPHS 76th class reunion, and had been a member of the organizing committees for most reunions, serving for many of those years as co-chair and chief "cheerleader" with his childhood friend, Sis Cairns.
He attended Bates College (where he was an enthusiastic participant of his V-12 World War II annual reunion), UMaine Orono, and graduated from one of the first classes of Portland Law School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946.
Succeeding his mother Helen as the unofficial historian of the Willard Square / Ferry Village / Cape Cottage / Lovitt's Field neigh-borhoods of South Portland, he likely knew the family connections of almost everyone he knew and met.
Throughout his entire adult life, he loved listening and dancing to "good" music, mostly from the 1940s, and was a sought-after dance partner, from jitterbug to swing.
He had an accepting and open heart, and with his wife Marian, they had an open door to so many: childhood friends and family, as well as those of their children -- many of whom continued to visit them for over 50 years beyond their childhoods, whenever they were in town or in the neighborhood -- and included neighbors, former spouses, boyfriends / girlfriends, caregivers and a vast array of friends and their children.
He touched so many lives, made so many to feel "special."
He was also a bit of a "kidder," not immune to a practical joke, or off-color story.
He was an extraordinary Dad, a valued friend and neighbor, and a unique individual.
He will be greatly missed by all.
Services will be held Sunday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. at
Hobbs Funeral Home,
230 Cottage Rd., South Portland. All are welcome. Arrangements under the guidance of Hobbs Funeral Home, South Portland. Online condolences may be expressed at: www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the
South Portland Historical Society
55 Bug Light Road
South Portland, ME 04106