Ray D. Hunter

Hamilton - Ray D. Hunter was born to Neil and Ruby Hunter on October 11, 1925, in Colville, Washington where he was raised and attended school. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy advancing to the rank of Second Class Signalman, serving in the Pacific Theater, including Okinawa, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. Following military service, he attended and graduated from Washington State College in 1952 with a degree in Forest Management. He was hired by the Colville National Forest where he had worked summers since 1948. In 1953, he received his appointment Junior Forester and assigned to the Republic District, Colville N.F., as Assistant Ranger. On October 1, 1955 he married Elva Jean White in Spokane. The couple met at the Forest Headquarters in Colville. In 1956 the couple was transferred to the Fisher River District, Kootenai N.F., Montana, where he was promoted to District Ranger. Daughter, Patti and son, John were born while stationed there. Ray was then transferred to the St. Joe N.F. at St. Maries, Idaho as fire staff. There, Ray and Jean purchased their first home and their third child, Jaqueline, was born in 1961. In 1967, Ray was transferred to the Bitterroot N.F. as Director of Trapper Creek Job Corp, In 1969, he was transferred to the staff at the Bitterroot N.F. HQ in Hamilton as Study Leader on the Salmon River Breaks Primitive Area and contiguous lands on the Bitterroot, Nez Perce and Salmon N.F.s to determine land suitability as wilderness under the 1964 Wilderness Act. After the study was complete and sent to Congress in 1974, he was transferred to the Regional Headquarters in Missoula to assist in energy planning. In 1976, he was reassigned to the Lolo N.F., and transferred back to the Regional HQ as Regional Coordinator of the national Roadless Area (RARE II) Study. Upon completion of the study, he was assigned as Regional Study Coordinator for three of the National Forest areas contained in the U.S. Senate Act S. 393 to determine suitability as wilderness. Ray retired in March 1981 after 34 years of Federal Service.
Ray loved his family and was very proud of them. He enjoyed taking family vacations, camping and RVing all over the western United States and Pacific Coast. He was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and also enjoyed woodworking, hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors. He and Jean spent several years wintering in Arizona. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, American Legion Ravalli Post 47, Bitterroot Valley Kiwanis, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, and an honorary member of the Nightstalkers. He was preceded in death by his parents, son John, sister Doris Olson, half-brothers Robert Campbell, Darrell and Warren Hunter, half-sisters Betty Campbell, Gail Bell, Shirley and Patricia Hunter.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean, children Patti McAlpin (Robin) Oregon, Kate Hunter, Texas, Dana Hunter, Missoula, and brother Patrick (Sharon) Arizona, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, half-sisters Eileen Harkness, Carolyn Shillam, Jeannie Johnson, step-sisters, Louise Cross, Gail Sikinger, numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial service will be Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Janet Malone officiating. Internment will follow at Riverview Cemetery with military honors to be presented by American Legion Ravalli Post 47 and Marine Corps League Detachment 937. Condolences for the family may be left at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Veteran's Memorial Park in Hamilton.
Daly-Leach Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.