George William Hunt

George W. Hunt, age 96 went to be with our Lord and Savior peacefully on Monday, October 31st, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Helen Hunt of 33 years, six children: Sandra Wright (Edward), Brenda Spradlin, James Hunt, Billy Hunt, Jan Temple, Janet (Ronnie) Salley and 2 step daughters Missy Collier, and Chris (Randy) Blackwell. George Hunt is also survived by 18 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents George W. and Jessie P. Hunt, along with three brothers (Eldred, Earnest, and Jack) and 5 sisters (Verdie, Reba, Olivia, Norma, and Margaret).

George W. Hunt, who went by Bill, loved life; but more importantly, he loved his family and especially his Momma. Bill had a soft heart and absolutely loved to hand out mint candies to everyone he encountered. Not only was he a great man, but he was a true American Patriot. Bill was born on December 7th, 1925, but when WWII started, he wanted nothing more than to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and defend the country that he loved. After being denied entry into the United States Army for being too young to serve at age 16, Bill, being undeterred, was able to find another way to serve his country within the Merchant Marines.

During World War II, nearly 250,000 civilian merchant mariners served as part of the U.S. military and delivered supplies and armed forces personnel by ship to foreign countries engulfed in the war; Bill Hunt was one of those 250,000 personnel. His service assisted in the delivery of men, weapons, and equipment to critical friction points where re-supply and re-enforcements were desperately needed. His sacrifice for his country aided the United States in over-all victory over axis forces, though Merchant Marines were denied Veteran Status until 1988. On September 25th, 2014, Bill finally received his Honorable Discharge Certificate, and DD Form 214, further solidifying him within the Veteran ranks of past, present, and future comrades. General Douglas MacArthur once stated, “I hold no branch in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine Service”. Bill Hunt was a member of such crucial service.

Bill had many jobs after his stint in the Merchant Marines. He worked for Coca-Cola, owned restaurants (police and emergency services always ate for free), Oak Farms Dairy, had a T.V. repair business, drove tractor trailers over-the-road, and enjoyed being a school crosswalk guard later in life to name a few. Bill knew not one stranger. At any point in time (if he wasn’t playing with his dogs), he could always be found with the most joyful voice guiding and mentoring everyone he met. Bill made everyone feel like they were family; all you have to do is ask anyone who had the privilege of bumping into him. Bill could be heard from time to time singing his favorite Hymn, “I’ll Fly Away”, and that is exactly what he did. George William Hunt EARNED his wings, and all can envision him standing at those pearly gates of Heaven saying, “I’m finally home Momma!”

A visitation will be held Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Johns-Ridout’s Funeral Parlors, 2116 University BLVD, Birmingham AL, 35233 followed by a funeral service from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Burial at Forest Hills Stewart Gragg will be officiating.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridouts.com for the Hunt family.