Gail Ralston Baker Hunt

It is with a heavy heart to share that our mom, Gail Ralston Baker Hunt, passed away on July 1, 2022. She was 87 years young and had been living in Kingsland, GA for the last 5 years. She was born November 23, 1934 to Margaret Thurman and Leonard Lee Ralston in Oklahoma City, OK.

She is preceded in death by the love of her life, James E. Hunt, Jr. They were married for 55 years. She is also preceded in death by her daughter, Cary Allison Hegg, and son, James E. Hunt, III. She is survived by her brother, Christopher Thurman Baker; her sister, Jeanne Braniff Baker; her children and their families: Kelly and Charlie Jinks; Shannon and Rupert Wood; Cathy Kessler; Steven and Angela Hegg; Stephanie Huff; eleven grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Gail grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. In high school, she worked on the school newspaper and student council election campaigns, and in college, she was an active member and eventually president of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, enjoyed bowling, and was involved with several student activity committees. She was grateful for the opportunity to attend and proud to graduate from Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, TX. After teaching elementary school at St Monica’s in Dallas, on October 7, 1961, she married James Edward Hunt, Jr, a Captain in the US Army who had just returned from an assignment in Berlin as a tank commander. Gail and Jim started a family right away that included four daughters and one son. For a few years early on, her teenage twin siblings joined them and were adored by their young children.

With Jim’s career, the family moved from Texas to Louisiana, Ohio, Annapolis, Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey, Atlanta, and eventually back to Dallas. Gail volunteered with every neighborhood, school, sports team, children’s summer camp program, art group, etc. -- sharing her organizational skills and enthusiasm with everything that her children were involved with. No neighborhood or parent group went without the appropriate holiday parade and picnic, field day, or informational newsletter!

Gail loved to play tennis and worked as a legal secretary, even starting her own company, Office Solutions, with the first home computer available for word processing. She loved learning and put that into practice, always upgrading her hardware and software to keep up with the needs of local law firms.

Gail and Jim retired to Diamondhead, MS where they lived for over 20 years, and then after losing Jim, Gail moved to Kingsland, GA. Gail was always the center of keeping the family in touch with each other. Her joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren, making sure everyone enjoyed the Gulf Coast with fishing, boating, tennis, and anything going on that included “kid fun”. She stayed active when she moved to Kingsland, joining the Camden Newcomers’ Club, Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, and the Camden Women’s Republican group, always taking on a leadership role with creating newsletters and providing communication.

Gail was a friendly soul, loving people and always wanting the best for everyone. She will be greatly missed!

A memorial mass for Gail will be held Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Calvary Hill Main Mausoleum North Chapel, 3235 Lombardy Ln, Dallas, Texas 75220, with a graveside service to follow at Calvary Hill Cemetery, in the family plot, next to Jim.

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