Herbert W. Hunt was the first-born child of 14 children born to Herbert and Martha Hunt.
He was born March 28, 1924 in the family farmhouse near Cottonwood, S.D. He attended Cottonwood School for 11 years. Early in his senior year (1941), the family moved to Lake Stevens. He graduated from Lake Stevens High School in 1942. The next fall he entered the South Dakota State School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, S.D. where he studied civil engineering. At the end of the first year he returned to Washington and entered the University of Washington. In March of 1944 he entered the U.S. Navy. He spent the second year aboard the USS Rockwall in the Pacific arena. He was discharged in May 1946 and returned to the University of Washington to continue his education until l950. He completed his education 18 years later when he received a bachelor of arts degree in physical education.
He married Leta Metzger in July of 1949. Together they had five children. In 1964 the family moved to Whidbey Island where Herb became involved with real estate sales. He eventually owned and operated the real estate firm Pioneer Properties in Clinton from 1974 to 1981. He was very active with his children in 4-H and family outings. Herb and Leta divorced in 1977. Herb remarried in 1978 to Barbara (Montague) Marks. Herb worked in the aviation sector of Boeing in Everett, at Rockwell in Columbus, Ohio and at Northrup in Southern California. He retired in 1989 from Northrup and returned to Boeing in Everett where he retired for the second time in 1995.
He resided in Clinton and after selling their home on Heggenes Road, they made plans to travel in a new motor home they purchased. Those travel plans were postponed due to Herb’s battle with cancer. They recently purchased a home at Mutiny View Manor in Freeland. On Oct. 19, 2006, Herb passed away quickly and quietly at home in his favorite chair from heart failure. He will be missed by many.
He is survived by his loving wife Barbara, and two dogs, Tasha and Brownie; four children, Loren Welch, Langley, Herb Hunt Jr. (wife Pauline), Mercer Island and Freeland; Traynor Hunt (wife Petite), Coupeville, and Kimberly Klinke, (husband Ralph) Samammish; three stepchildren, David Marks, Issaquah, Doyle (wife Marcia) Marks, and Doug (wife Mariko) Marks, both of Clinton; 11 grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. He is also survived by eight brothers and sisters.
Herb had been a Lutheran all his life. He was baptized in a rural Lutheran Church less than a mile from where he was born. He was confirmed at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Philip, S.D. His roots here at Trinity Lutheran in Freeland run deep and for many years. Services will be held at
2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland.
