Dr. Samuel Isaac Hunt

We shall all remember Sam as being larger than life, in both his six-foot-ten tall appearance, in combination with his radiant personality. He would light up a room with his presence, loved life, and lived it to the fullest. As a chiropractor, he was known for his dedicated and devoted care, which he provided selflessly and with a recognized expertise for many patients, up and until his untimely death.

Known affectionately as Sam, he was born in Cortez, Colorado, on the 2nd of November 1963, to Irene Johns and Raymond George “Slim” Hunt, Sr. He was adopted by his grandparents, Lester and Mary Hunt, of Waterflow, New Mexico. His grandmother was known as a healer amongst the local Navajo and Mormon communities, and as an infant, Sam was infirmed with an unknown illness. Due to her insistence and tenacity with Sam’s diagnosis, the medical community in New Mexico discovered an infection that was creating a pandemic among Navajo infants. Accordingly, an appropriate treatment was developed, and many lives were protected. Sam was proud of the fact that his challenging start in life saved countless American Indian children.

When Sam was eight years old, he participated in a four-year program where the Mormon Church placed Navajo children with Mormon families in the Salt Lake City area to be educated and nurtured. Sam was blessed to be placed with Dr. Robert F. Bitner and his wife, Carol F. Bitner. Their family consisted of nine children, and Sam made the number a perfect ten. He spent four school years with the Bitners in Utah and would return to New Mexico during the summers. The years he spent with the Bitner family were very integral in Sam’s development and success in life. For many years, he attended their family reunions and gatherings. He truly loved and cherished his “Mom and Dad Bitner.”

Sam attended Kirtland Central High School in Kirtland, New Mexico. He was a mountain of a man in high school and became a very formidable and talented basketball star, under the direction of the late Barry Rodrigue, a passionate athletics coach and dedicated educator. Because of Sam’s athletic abilities, he was offered sports scholarships from both Cornell University and Texas Tech University. Sam relished and enjoyed his days of collegiate basketball, and he maintained a fierce devotion to almost all sports throughout his entire life. He graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree and also discovered a desire to excel in sports medicine.

Sam’s late uncle, Dr. Dell Hunt, a chiropractor in New Mexico, encouraged him to achieve this career goal through chiropractic medicine. In pursuit of this goal, Sam attended both the University of Western States (UWS) in Portland, Oregon, and the Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) in Houston, Texas. After graduation from TCC and licensure in Texas as a Doctor of Chiropractic, he settled in the Houston area. Like his grandmother, Sam had both the desire and the gift to heal people. He understood every muscle, tendon, and joint in the body and could call every one of them by name. His time as an athlete; and dealing with sports medicine, helped him to be, “the ultimate chiropractor.”

In addition to his love of all sports, Sam deeply appreciated and respected his Native American heritage. He attended pow-wows and had a sincere affection for all Native American cultures. He was also an ardent admirer of western art and he always looked forward to the annual Briscoe Museum Night of Artists. During his years of attendance at Briscoe events, he had the opportunity to make lasting friendships with many recognized and renowned western art painters and sculptors. He was especially proud of his culinary skills and enjoyed preparing meals for both family and friends in special environments, which he created in both Houston and South Texas. Sam also had a deep love and affection for all animals, but he especially admired his Turkish Van feline companions.

Sam had a number of siblings, nieces, and nephews. His oldest surviving sister is Julie Hunt Porter of Roswell, New Mexico. He enjoyed adventures with both Julie and another sister, Raye Lynette Behounek of San Antonio, Texas. He also took special interest in his nephew, Francisco J. “Franco” Orozco and Franco‘s son, Kellen, of Waterflow, New Mexico. He is also survived by his partner of over twenty years, Bradford Wyatt; along with cherished friends, Lynn and Oscar Wyatt and members of their family; Billy C. Wells and his wife, Laura; Justin Waldron; Charles “Chuck” Howell; and Dr. Amrit Thandi. In Utah, he is survived by Carol F. Bitner; Dr. Mark Bitner and wife, Lois; Kathy Bitner Oviatt and husband, Jed; and many other members of his adoptive and loving Bitner family. He was preceded in death by his late brother, Lester George Hunt; and by the late Dr. Robert Bitner.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation on Friday, the 6th of September, from nine until ten o'clock in the morning at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. The funeral service is to follow at ten o'clock in the morning, also on Friday, the 6th of September, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, where Dr. Wm. "Bill" Heston is to officiate. Afterwards, all are invited to gather for a reception in the adjacent Grand Foyer.

In accordance with Sam’s wishes, an interment is to follow at sunset during a private service at the Wyatt Ranches Cemetery in South Texas.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in tribute to the memory of Dr. Samuel Isaac Hunt may be directed to Adopt-A-Native-Elder, 328 West Gregson Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah, 84115.