Guy (Bill) Forbush Hunter, Jr., 91, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2024, at Maine Medical Center in Portland with his beloved son, Glenn, by his side. He was born June 20, 1932 in Wellesley, Mass., the son of Evelyn and Guy Forbush Hunter, Sr. He attended Seldon L. Brown School then Wellesley High School, sharing time with good friends over toy trains and erector sets, as well as playing the sousaphone in the school band. Bill caught his strong desire to travel early on. Throughout childhood his parents took him on vacation to remote lake areas, where he loved to fish and enjoyed sharing time with the sound of loon calls – a favorite bird he always loved to watch. He enjoyed family ties and spending time with relatives at a shared, generations old, Hunter family farm.
As an only child, his parents always welcomed other children to their home. Bill and his friends joined Boy Scouts, which introduced him to scout leader Henry White, who had a summer home at Cape Rosier in Brooksville. Henry hired him to come to Cape Rosier during summers to help his family, and that was where he met his future wife, Reta. They enjoyed each other’s company during those long summer days on Penobscot Bay and later attended the University of Maine together, where he majored in Agriculture. Bill and Reta were married in 1955 at a small church in West Brooksville.
Bill joined the ROTC and expected to do his time in the army, but a wonderful son, Glenn, was born in 1956 and changed the new father’s plans. Instead, Bill spent time as a poultry serviceman in western New York and later moved to Winterport, Maine, where he purchased and ran a poultry farm. There, a second child was born in 1958, daughter Deborah. The family of four enjoyed camping together and later owned a boat, the Seawan, on which they spent countless summer days on the waters of beautiful Penobscot Bay.
Bill later became a traveling salesman for Bristol Myers Company, a profession which surely fueled his interests in travel and meeting new people. He retired in 1987 and while Reta was completing her last year of teaching, he was able to spend time with their daughter Debbie, who had been living with Cystic Fibrosis since childhood. These days were very special to both Bill and Debbie, as Debbie was declining in health. She died in early 1988 and Bill treasured those last months with her, shedding tears when speaking of her for the rest of his life.
Once Reta retired the couple was able to spend many great years traveling together. They spent 17 winters in Tucson, Arizona; 14 of those years they drove across country and took great pleasure in visiting friends, family, and very special places along the way. They took several river cruises on paddlewheel boats, once they even hired a canal boat on the Canal du Midi in France. Their last big trip together was a final stay at Bosebuck Camps in Wilsons Mills, Maine when Bill was 90 years old. Bosebuck Camps held many happy memories for Bill as it was a staple Hunter family retreat that his parents traveled to for many years and brought Bill there throughout his childhood.
After retirement Bill indulged in many hobbies involving transportation, or as he put it: “things that go places.” He served on several boards and committees and was proud of what he helped to accomplish, including: helping Amtrak resume passenger rail services to Maine, restoration of the historic Katahdin (“Kate”) steamboat on Moosehead Lake, the revival of the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington (WW&F) narrow-gauge railway, and he helped to organize the Maine-ly T tour in which he ran his Model T during each year.
Bill was a very special person. He loved to chat with people over coffee anywhere he could, but most days he could be found at the Coffee Break Café in Hampden. He often came home with stories from people he met, and since his voice would often be rather hoarse, it’s sure he told his share of stories, too!
Bill was a kind, loving husband and father who always wanted the best for his family and did everything he could to bring happiness to their lives. Often times Bill could be found tinkering on projects to try to help streamline mundane tasks for his loved ones. He was generally very organized in an unorganized way. His mom is quoted as once saying – “Bill can be so logically illogical.” Bill was truly one of a kind and dearly loved by his family and friends. He will be missed very much by a great many people.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Reta, son Glenn (bun-a) of Fort Collins, CO, grandson Jeffrey of Copenhagen, Denmark, granddaughter Adrienne (Jedidiah Matthews) of Steamboat Springs, CO. He was predeceased by his parents, Evelyn (Bunn) and Guy Forbush Hunter, and daughter Deborah Hunter.
Those who wish to remember Bill in a special way may make donations to: Northern Light Health Foundation, EMMC Deborah Hunter Research Fund for Cystic Fibrosis, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04402-0931.
A celebration of life will take place at 1PM, June 26th, 2024, at Alamoosook Lakeside Inn, 229 Soper Road, Orland, ME 04472, where Bill has requested anyone with a fun story of their time with Bill to come and share it with his family and friends.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Guy Hunter, please visit our flower store.
As an only child, his parents always welcomed other children to their home. Bill and his friends joined Boy Scouts, which introduced him to scout leader Henry White, who had a summer home at Cape Rosier in Brooksville. Henry hired him to come to Cape Rosier during summers to help his family, and that was where he met his future wife, Reta. They enjoyed each other’s company during those long summer days on Penobscot Bay and later attended the University of Maine together, where he majored in Agriculture. Bill and Reta were married in 1955 at a small church in West Brooksville.
Bill joined the ROTC and expected to do his time in the army, but a wonderful son, Glenn, was born in 1956 and changed the new father’s plans. Instead, Bill spent time as a poultry serviceman in western New York and later moved to Winterport, Maine, where he purchased and ran a poultry farm. There, a second child was born in 1958, daughter Deborah. The family of four enjoyed camping together and later owned a boat, the Seawan, on which they spent countless summer days on the waters of beautiful Penobscot Bay.
Bill later became a traveling salesman for Bristol Myers Company, a profession which surely fueled his interests in travel and meeting new people. He retired in 1987 and while Reta was completing her last year of teaching, he was able to spend time with their daughter Debbie, who had been living with Cystic Fibrosis since childhood. These days were very special to both Bill and Debbie, as Debbie was declining in health. She died in early 1988 and Bill treasured those last months with her, shedding tears when speaking of her for the rest of his life.
Once Reta retired the couple was able to spend many great years traveling together. They spent 17 winters in Tucson, Arizona; 14 of those years they drove across country and took great pleasure in visiting friends, family, and very special places along the way. They took several river cruises on paddlewheel boats, once they even hired a canal boat on the Canal du Midi in France. Their last big trip together was a final stay at Bosebuck Camps in Wilsons Mills, Maine when Bill was 90 years old. Bosebuck Camps held many happy memories for Bill as it was a staple Hunter family retreat that his parents traveled to for many years and brought Bill there throughout his childhood.
After retirement Bill indulged in many hobbies involving transportation, or as he put it: “things that go places.” He served on several boards and committees and was proud of what he helped to accomplish, including: helping Amtrak resume passenger rail services to Maine, restoration of the historic Katahdin (“Kate”) steamboat on Moosehead Lake, the revival of the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington (WW&F) narrow-gauge railway, and he helped to organize the Maine-ly T tour in which he ran his Model T during each year.
Bill was a very special person. He loved to chat with people over coffee anywhere he could, but most days he could be found at the Coffee Break Café in Hampden. He often came home with stories from people he met, and since his voice would often be rather hoarse, it’s sure he told his share of stories, too!
Bill was a kind, loving husband and father who always wanted the best for his family and did everything he could to bring happiness to their lives. Often times Bill could be found tinkering on projects to try to help streamline mundane tasks for his loved ones. He was generally very organized in an unorganized way. His mom is quoted as once saying – “Bill can be so logically illogical.” Bill was truly one of a kind and dearly loved by his family and friends. He will be missed very much by a great many people.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Reta, son Glenn (bun-a) of Fort Collins, CO, grandson Jeffrey of Copenhagen, Denmark, granddaughter Adrienne (Jedidiah Matthews) of Steamboat Springs, CO. He was predeceased by his parents, Evelyn (Bunn) and Guy Forbush Hunter, and daughter Deborah Hunter.
Those who wish to remember Bill in a special way may make donations to: Northern Light Health Foundation, EMMC Deborah Hunter Research Fund for Cystic Fibrosis, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04402-0931.
A celebration of life will take place at 1PM, June 26th, 2024, at Alamoosook Lakeside Inn, 229 Soper Road, Orland, ME 04472, where Bill has requested anyone with a fun story of their time with Bill to come and share it with his family and friends.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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