Jon Russell Hunt

Jon Russell Hunt, 83, of Raleigh, North Carolina passed away on January 31, 2024. Jon was born on July 22,1940 in Moline, IL, and raised in Burlington, Iowa by his parents Gerald and Thelma McSparrin Hunt.

He graduated from Burlington High School where he made lifelong friends and enjoyed reconnecting with them at reunions. He attended the University of Iowa, receiving a BA degree in Business Administration and later, a JD degree in law. He served in the US Naval Reserve and went on to practice law as a trial lawyer in Seattle, Washington, for 24 years. He then served as the Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Civil Division of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (South Pacific) before receiving an appointment as a US Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in 1990. Over the 21 years he served as an ALJ, he was stationed in Kansas City, MO, Phoenix, AZ, and transferred to Raleigh, NC in 1996, which he made his home. He was a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Iowa State Bar, and the United States Federal Bar. He was admitted to practice before federal courts of Eastern and Western Districts of Washington and the United States Supreme Court. He was a past member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, and Washington Association of Defense Counsel.

Throughout his active professional career, Jon was involved in youth sports, serving on the Board of Directors of the Mercer Island Washington Boys and Girls Club. He coached various teams in football, basketball, and baseball, a great number of whose kids went on to experience success in high school and college athletics. He was also the head coach of the freshman football teams and varsity assistant coach at North Canyon High School, Phoenix, AZ, and Chaparral High School, Scottsdale, AZ.

Jon had a photographic memory and could recite the Gettysburg Address, Bible verses, and of course law books. He could sing word for word all the commercial songs of his youth, i.e., the Wonder Bread commercial, Buster Brown shoes, and Howdy Doody to name a few. He loved and studied history, especially the Civil War and World War II. Studying archeology and geography were his hobbies.

Jon retired from government service in 2011 to spend more time pursuing his favorite pastime, playing golf with his buddies at Raleigh Golf Association (RGA). Jon provided leadership to RGA while serving as president and a member of the Board of Directors for many years. Jon had a sharp mind and always displayed integrity in making decisions. During his illness his wonderful RGA buddies visited, called often, wrote letters, baked a pie, brought bacon wrapped quail, and even put-up safety bars in the shower for him.

Jon will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and treasured friend. He was honorable, kind, comforting, even-tempered, and just the kind of person you want around in a crisis or when a difficult decision needed to be made.

Those remaining to cherish his memory are his beloved and devoted wife, Diana Hanson Hunt; his adored children, Laura B. Monroe, (Bryan), Bellevue, WA, and Jon Benjamin Hunt, (Erin), Bellevue, WA. He was proud of his grandchildren, Samantha and Colby Kuhia, Haylee and Naomi Hunt, all of Bellevue, WA, and he enjoyed a very special relationship with his stepsons, Christopher and Bradley Ford of Nashville, TN.

Honoring Jon’s request, there will be no formal service. A family gathering to celebrate his treasured life will be arranged at a later date for a gathering in the NC mountains.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Cir. Raleigh, NC 27607.

Service arrangements are being provided by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street Raleigh, NC.