Tom Hunter, UCC's modern-day minstrel, has died

Written by staff and wire reports

June 22, 2008

The Rev. Tom Hunter, a musician and pastor who shared his music across the UCC and beyond for decades, died on June 20 after a short battle with rare brain disease.

Hunter, a modern-day minstrel, sang and wrote songs for more than 30 years. One of Hunter's songs is featured in The New Century Hymnal (#359).

In April, he began a new ministry as pastor of First Congregational UCC in Bellingham, Wash. Just days after assuming the position, he was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an extremely rare and incurable degenerative brain disorder.

News of Hunter's death came from a blog that Hunter's wife, Gwen Hunter, and children had been updating for the public as the disease progressed. Remembrances from friends and church members are being gathered at Hunter's blog, A Time for Sharing.

"Tom took his last breath this morning, June 20, at 3:39 surrounded by the three of us and an amazing amount of love," the family wrote on its blog. "We cried, laughed, prayed, embraced, hummed 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and sang 'The Garden Song.' We lit a candle and applauded a life well-lived."

A graduate of Amherst College and Union Theological Seminary, he was ordained in 1972. In 1979, he was the founding host of "God Talk" on San Francisco's KGO radio. After his death, the station honored him on Sunday with an on-air tribute. 

Tom Hunter, a Claremont High School graduate who in his adult life was a pastor, radio host, and a prolific writer and performer of educational songs, has died. He was 61.

Hunter died June 20 at his home in Bellingham, Wash. The cause of death was Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare brain degenerative disorder.

Throughout his adulthood, Hunter's professional life was focused on combining educational and religious endeavors, said his father, Willard Hunter.

"I think he did it from the beginning," he said. "His grandfather was a Presbyterian minister and was also a college teacher. He liked that idea of the combination of education and religion."

Hunter was born Sept. 14, 1946, in Indianapolis. His family moved to Claremont in 1959, and he graduated from Claremont High in 1964.

He attended Amherst College, where he graduated in 1968, and then went to Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1972.

After finishing seminary, he was a pastor at churches in the San Francisco area.

For five years during the late '70s and early '80s, Hunter was the host of a weekly religious program on KGO-AM, a San Francisco station that has one of the market's largest audiences, his father said.

Hunter's family moved to Bellingham about 25 years ago. Hunter then began working on his motivational songwriting efforts in earnest, Willard Hunter said.

Hunter wrote songs for children and teachers, and traveled all over the country performing and speaking at schools and conferences about different educational and motivational themes.

"He was all over the country all the time," said his father.

Hunter was diagnosed with his disease in April. Creutzfeldt-Jakob patients live an average of only four months after diagnosis, Willard Hunter said.

"His family was devastated by the idea," Willard Hunter said. "But he lived a great life, and then it was time for him to go."

Hunter is survived by his wife, Gwen, and children, Aeden and Irene Hunter, all of Bellingham; his parents, Willard and Mary Louise Hunter of Claremont; and a brother, Willard M. Hunter of Eureka.

A memorial service is being held today at the First Congregational Church in Bellingham, said Jane Sorenson.