William "Bill" G. Hunter

Bill Hunter, 93, passed away on March 4, 2022, his loving wife Lucy by his side. He was born in Akron on August 5, 1928, to the late E.J. and Flonnie Hunter.  A 1946 graduate of North High School, Bill attended Kent State University.  In 1950 he was drafted into the Army, serving with an engineering unit that surveyed and made maps of the German countryside through 1952.  After his honorable discharge, he was promptly hired by the Akron Beacon Journal as a staff photographer, later promoted to head the department as Chief Photographer at the height of this newspaper’s journalistic heyday, retiring in 1993 after 41 years.

Bill moved to the Portage Lakes in 1958 and has resided on the east shore of Turkeyfoot Lake ever since, eventually becoming its elder statesman, default historian, and expert on its ecology (even if he would have modestly protested those titles). It was here he developed a passion for restoring and maintaining antique wooden boats, which led to active and rewarding membership in the North Coast Ohio Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, winning many awards over the years for his impeccable workmanship. That fine eye for detail and craftsmanship translated as well to his woodshop, where he was known to while away the hours “making sawdust.” He enjoyed membership in both the Turkeyfoot Island Club and Sportsman Club. On temperate evenings, friends knew to find him with a drink on his front deck, admiring the spectacular sunsets.

He married JeanE Hagenbush on August 22, 1959, and they raised three children over 38 years filled with love and laughter and the warm conviviality of many dear friends, before her death in 1997.

Love returned when Lucy Green came into his life, and they married on June 29, 2001. She took on the role of affectionate matriarch and “Grandma,” warmly gathering their collective families together monthly. They enjoyed over 20 loving and affectionate years together.

An avid reader, Bill was admired by so many for his often encyclopedic, deep well of knowledge in subjects ranging from aviation to WWII, and seemingly everything in between, from nature and ecology to sociology and politics. He held a deep curiosity for all things and maintained a keen sense of humor. He remained steadfastly proud of his children and grandchildren for accomplishments great and small.

Besides his parents and his first wife, JeanE, Bill was preceded in death by his son, Steve Hunter, and sisters, Betty Lou (George) Quillin, Nancy Lee (Jerry) Hurd, and Shirley (Richard) Drew. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Hunter; daughters, Sue (Ron) Hays and Stacy (George Ticoras) Hunter; stepdaughter, Carol (Brian) Caldwell; stepsons, Dave (Cindy) and Dan Green; sister, Karen (Lou) Leo; his adoring grandchildren, Brandon Hunter, Zachariah (Olga) Hays, Jacob (Andriana) Hays, Katina Ticoras; stepgrandchildren, Jacqueline Diamond, Daniel Green, Cristin Caldwell, and Matthew Smith; step-greatgrandchildren, Aleena and Tom Diamond, Kaiden Huffman, George and Penelope Green; sisters-in-law, Sarah Hagenbush and Lorraine Fox; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, and countless friends, all of whom will miss him dearly.

Friends and family may visit from 4 - 7 P.M. on Friday, March 11, 2022, at Schermesser Funeral Home, 600 E. Turkeyfoot Lake Road, Akron, Ohio 44319 (SR 619).  A memorial service will follow at 7 P.M. with Pastor Brett Faris officiating.  Memorial contributions can be made in Bill’s name to Turkeyfoot Sportsman Club Ladies Auxiliary, 4551 Dusty’s Road, Akron, Ohio 44319, note scholarship fund on the memo line, or to VeloSano, Cleveland Clinic's Cancer Research Initiative, 9500 Euclid Avenue DV, Cleveland, Ohio 44195.  To leave a special message online for the family, visit our website at www.schermesserfh.com.

SCHERMESSER
(330) 899-9107
www.schermesserfh.com

Memorial Contributions:

Turkeyfoot Sportsman Club Ladies Auxiliary
4551 Dusty’s Road
Akron, Ohio 44319 
note scholarship fund on the memo line  

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