DANA MARIE HUNT

HUNT, Dana Marie (Eser) Longtime resident of Lexington, MA, died on October 2, 2025, at the age of 77, after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on September 18, 1948, in Baltimore, MD, to Charles Gerhard "Bud" Eser and Muriel Ellen Taylor, she was raised in Baltimore, Louisville, KY and Richmond, VA, as her family moved due to her father's career at General Electric. An avid reader and lover of history, Dana fell in love with ethnography in college and obtained her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. While attending school there, she developed a reputation on campus for bringing her beloved dog with her to the classes she taught and on field research assignments. In that time, she became deeply passionate about substance use treatment access and research, and nurtured that passion over a nearly 50-year career that took her to positions in New York and San Diego, CA, before settling in Boston, where she joined Abt Associates in 1987. She and colleagues, several of whom would become lifelong friends, would work to build the company's substance use treatment, criminal justice and HIV/AIDS evaluation research portfolio over the next three decades, before her retirement in 2022. Outside of work, Dana enjoyed cooking and spending time with friends, and was known for her carefully planned holiday dinners, delicious baked goods and willingness to host and cook for large gatherings of friends and family. She brought genuine curiosity and kindness when meeting new people, especially children, and was known for her disarming laugh, quick wit, and willingness to provide both frank and reassuring advice when thinking through difficult situations and decisions. By her own report, her greatest joy and accomplishment was being a mother to her two daughters and a grandmother to her two young grandsons. Folks who knew her often commented on the calming and maternal presence she carried, and the "open door" she extended to young people in her life in need of support. She was also a lover of animals and had many beloved rescue dogs and cats throughout her life, and could frequently be found on quiet evenings with her pets cuddled on the couch with her and with a good book. Dana is survived by her siblings, Sally Eser (Fred) Stuart, Jeffry Eser, and Chuck (Laura) Eser; sisters-in-law, Kathleen Hunt and Lesa Eser; cousin, Deborah Shortridge; and eight nieces and nephews; in addition to her two daughters, Meaghan Hunt and Claire (Robert) Morgan; and two grandsons, Wesley and Austin Morgan. She was predeceased by her parents; nephew Andrew Holmes Stuart; and aunts and uncle. A private family Burial will be held at Westview Cemetery, in Lexington, MA and followed by a Celebration of Life in Concord, MA, on November 10, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her honor to ROCA, Inc. or the MSPCA.

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