June Louise Hunter

June Louise Hunter

1919 – 2020

A life well-Lived. At 101, June slipped peacefully away on Saturday, November 7, at the Lodge at Mallard’s Landing in Gig Harbor, where she had been a resident for the past 6 years. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Frances and George Mortensen, she and her family moved to Seattle in time for her senior year at Lincoln High School, where she met and married her husband of nearly 60 years, Morrice James Hunter, who preceded her in death in 1996.  Shortly after their marriage, they purchased 60 acres in southwest Kitsap County, where they built the homestead where she lived for 70 years.

Those were busy years; they gave birth to six children, had a large chicken farm and assisted her parents with their well-known turkey farm, Morturk Hatchery, just a mile down the road. They were active in the Glenwood Community Club, where June played the accordion with a dance band and acted in local productions. Together they provided the family with the roots of a strong, fun-loving, firmly-connected family. From those six children they reaped 12 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. The children, in birth order: Judy Austin (Kenneth), Jo Reasons (Joe), Kerry Hodgen (Dwight), Ruth Dethlefs (deceased), Philip Hunter (Fran) and James Hunter (Diana).

As the poultry business declined here in Washington, June discovered her innate talent for the world of sales. She was never afraid to knock on doors to convince unsuspecting customers they needed items they had never even heard of, including Compac vacuum cleaners, Rena Ware, Zylstra china and cutlery, and Photron cameras. From there she moved on to selling carpets and hearing aids. Then she moved outdoors, selling campsite lots on the Cowlitz River and in Ocean Shores. Her sales career ended by becoming a real estate agent, then a broker.  One personal achievement was selling local property to all of her children, where most of them still reside.  Some of the family purchased a couple of lots in Ocean Shores, where the extended family built a two-story “cabin” that has provided a get-away for nearly forty years, at one point, offering June an opportunity to help clean oily shore birds after an off-shore oil spill.

For June, life was about adventures.  She became a world traveler, including several trips to England and Scotland to visit relatives.  She and Morrice flew to New Zealand for an extended road trip to see the country. She enjoyed several cruises: the Inland Passage to Alaska, the Panama Canal, the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii and the Amazon River. Land trips included Montana, the Grand Canyon, overland to Alaska, by train to Atlantic City and Cape May, New Jersey, and several independent driving trips to visit her daughter and son-in-law in California. And she traveled with a good friend to mainland China. One of June’s favorite activities over many years was gambling, whether at some local casino or taking a “Red Eye” flight to Reno or Las Vegas, she was remarkably lucky.

For several years, she was actively involved in the teaching and learning of local investment clubs, even serving on the board of the National Association of Investment Clubs. In the early sixties, she served an elected term on the South Kitsap School Board.

June did a lot with her first 100 years and lived through an amazing century, including the Great Depression, WWII, the birth of modern technology, the explosion of air flight, the turmoil of the sixties and the myriad products we now take for granted. With great trepidation, she even experienced the undulations of Galloping Gertie, before it went down. She never slowed down, until the past few years, when Macular Degeneration took much of the joy out of daily activities. She never lost her zest for life and the enjoyment of being with family. She was a role model who guided all of our lives and will be missed every day, even as she asked Jesus to take her home!

Due to the dangers of COVID-19, there will be no services at this time.  Remembrances can be made to South Kitsap Helpline (1012 Mitchell Avenue, Port Orchard, WA 98366), where she was an ardent supporter.

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