ROBERT CHARLES HUNTER (BOB)

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ROBERT CHARLES HUNTER

It is with great sadness that we announce Bob's peaceful passing on Thursday, November 14, 2019, after a short battle with cancer.
Robert Charles Hunter was born on September 1, 1940 to Bea and Bob, in Winnipeg, MB. The eldest of seven sons, it amused him to tell people that they were, quite literally, "sons of B's," quickly rattling off their names... Bob, Barry, Brian, Bruce, Blair, Brent and Brad.
Dad's early childhood was spent amongst the women in his large extended family, as his father was away at war. He had many fond memories of time spent on the farm in Hamiota during this time. These early years, later sparked a lifelong interest in Dad and he became very fluent in discussing the history of the War Years. When his father returned from the war and life resumed, their family of four slowly grew to become a family of nine!
Dad attended Winnipeg schools, completing Grade 11. At this time, his family moved to Atikokan and Dad stayed behind living with his aunt Norma and uncle Graham and their family for the next year. He worked at Williams pharmacy and after exploring his options, he decided to study to become a Chartered Accountant. It was while he was a student that he met the love of his life, Arline Patricia Fellowes, and they were married May 28, 1960. As young as they were, it was a challenging time balancing work and study, but they stuck it out together. Their family grew in 1961 with the arrival of Kelly Lee and Scott Robert in 1963, who arrived on the night of Dad's graduation party!
Following graduation, Dad worked in a Public Accountancy Practice. He moved on to become a comptroller for Aronovitch and Leipsic and stayed there, enjoying his position for many years. Seeking a new challenge, he worked for Qualico for a number of years and then moved on to become the CAO for the law firm of Buchwald, Asper, Henteleff. Dad loved his business life and built himself a solid and respected reputation. If you ever had the opportunity to walk with him through the Portage and Main Concourse, you would be amazed at the consistent "hi Bob" greetings as you walked!
Amongst his work for others, Dad ventured out on his own establishing Sun Mortgage Corporation, where he was president and CEO. He eventually, transitioned to Sun full-time and became very successful. When he sold the business to retire, it wasn't long before he started Solar Mortgage and he continued to dabble in that until very recently, while transitioning to its new owners. To say Dad loved to work would be an understatement, as it really was a part of his being and something he truly loved.
Dad and Mom lived in Winnipeg for 18 years, residing in the Westwood area for most of those years. It was in 1978 in a shocking act of spontaneity; they suddenly decided to move to the country and settled on their acreage in Stonewall. They lived there for the next 40 years. Dad was very proud of his "little piece of Heaven" and spent his evenings and weekends mostly cutting acres and acres of grass, which he loved! He loved the fact that his grandson Erik and his fiancée, Kaitlyn bought the property, when he and Mom moved to town and will keep his dream in the family
Dad's heritage was very important to him and he spent many hours searching records and often talking to relatives in search of information on both the Knight and Hunter family trees. He travelled to Scotland to experience the land that his Hunter grandparents came from, an opportunity he thoroughly enjoyed. He was always keen to share his findings with any family member that showed interest and even those who didn't. If you were really lucky, you got to see him in the kilt that he was so proud of, complete with a match set of knobby knees.
Dad had a vast amount of knowledge on many topics due to his love of reading. He seldom missed reading the daily paper and he preferred fact over fiction. History was his passion and he had an extensive knowledge of Winnipeg's history and thoroughly enjoyed an active discussion on the topic. Along with that, Dad was an avid Jets fan, having season's tickets from their beginning in 1972 until 1996. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Jets history and players, and was always up for a discussion. He was excited when they returned to Winnipeg.
Dad's head for facts was sharp right up until the end. Visits from each of his brothers and some close friends over the last weeks included much reminiscing about their youth and many antics in life. Dad loved to talk and impart his wisdom to any willing listener. As his hearing failed, it was a source of amusement to watch him corner someone new, one on one, to talk. The difficulty was that he could talk for hours on end and many a polite soul would need to be rescued!
Over the years, Dad opted to share his knowledge and contribute to his community by serving on the United Church Board and recently, Seniors Resource. He belonged to Toastmasters for many years, perfecting his craft as a public speaker. It was time well spent as Dad was often asked to be a spokesperson or behalf of others in his various roles.
His proudest contribution, however, was his active membership in Masons, following in the footsteps of his parents and brother, Brent. Dad belonged to Stonewall Masonic Lodge, serving in many different positions including Master. He enjoyed the fellowship of his "brother" masons, and was well versed in its community and service.
The shining stars in Dad's life were his grandchildren. One granddaughter and four grandsons brought a constant sense of pride and amusement. He loved to take them for rides on his tractor, watch their various sports and activities, and especially enjoyed his role as "Santa," responsible for handing out all the gifts on Christmas Days.
He was especially proud when he became a GREAT-grandfather last year with the birth of his great-grandson Ace, followed this past August by his great-granddaughter Eva.
Dad is survived by his loving and patient wife of 59 years, Arline; daughter Kelly (Robyn); son Scott; grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Kelsey), Erik (Kaitlyn), Chase, Alex and Ian; great-grandchildren, Edward Ace and Eva Jean.
A large extended family, friends and colleagues, too many to mention, will keep his memory alive.
In accordance with his wishes, everyone is invited to raise a glass with us in Dad's honour during a Celebration of Life on Friday, November 22, 2019 at the Heritage Arts Centre - #166 Main Street, Stonewall, MB at 4:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, we would prefer that you please make a donation to Palliative Care in Stonewall.
Our family would like to thank Dr. Graham and all the Angels at Stonewall Hospital and Palliative Care who were involved in Dad's care this past week. Your kind and compassionate care will be remembered and was appreciated beyond words

If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

- Robert Burns

Ken Loehmer Funeral Services
204-886-0404

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 16, 2019