Richard Allen Hunt

Richard Allen Hunt, resident of Olive Branch, MS with family members throughout Fayette County, United States Veteran and husband of Delores Hunt died Wednesday evening, April 25, 2012 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis where he had been a patient for two weeks. He was 72 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Services of Remembrance with Military Honors for Mr. Hunt were conducted at 2 P.M. Saturday, April 28th at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Marvin Tharnish, minister of Brookside Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS officiating. He was assisted by Bro. John Bomar, retired minister of Brookside Baptist Church. Interment followed in the Forest Hill East Cemetery on Whitten Road in Memphis. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes and Cremation Center — West Chapel of Oakland.

Mr. Hunt was born January 20, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Edward Hunt and Lucille Vivian Hopping Hunt. He received his education in the Dayton, Ohio Public School System and lived in West Tennessee for the past 35 years. He was married February 9, 1963 to the former Delores Lee Gardner, a retired accountant and employee of Wills & Wills Real Estate Agency in Memphis, who survives.

Mr. Hunt was a member of the Brookside Baptist Church and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 until 1965. He served as Chief Safety Officer for the St. Francis Hospital on Park Avenue in Memphis for 23 years before his retirement and had been a resident of Olive Branch for the past 4 years.

He will be remembered for his love of gospel and country music and as an avid sports fan. He enjoyed baseball, basketball, football, golf, fishing and hunting as long as health permitted. He became a paralegal later in life and in earlier years also coached baseball and softball. He was also a member of the Hymaires Quartet of Olive Branch and enjoyed singing in this quartet as long as health permitted.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Hunt is survived by two sons, Phillip Richard Hunt of Olive Branch, Christopher Allen Hunt of Olive Branch; five sisters, Judy Hunt of Dayton, OH, Nancy Cannon of Sparta, TN, Karen Erisman of Dayton, OH, Marie Hunt of Columbus, OH, Donna Brixley of Dayton, OH; his brother, Larry Gardner of Southaven; two granddaughters, Jackie Byard of Southaven, Heather Annisa Johnson of Southaven; and a host of nieces and nephews.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Brookside Baptist Church, 4993 Highway 302, Olive Branch, MS 38654.