John Wheeler Hunt passed away on Aug 2, 2019, after a six month-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
John was born Dec 1, 1942, in Buellton, CA, and grew up in Southern California, living for the most part in Santa Barbara. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1964, and received his master’s degree in education from Stanford University.
John started his career as a teacher in Las Vegas for five years, (reaching head of his department at 26 years old). John then moved to the Washington, DC, are in 1970, where he instructed teacher groups in professional rights and responsibilities with the National Education Association.
After moving back to Souther California in 1973, John entered the world of banking at Security Pacific National Bank, working his way up the ranks managing substantial loan portfolios.
In 1992, John moved back to Santa Barbara and worked with Montecito Bank and Trust, and then with American Riviera Bank, until his retirement in 2009.
Shortly after retirement, John and his wife of 55 years Mary moved to Ashland, Oregon, to be part of their beloved Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), where they had been attending plays annually for over 20 years. He and Mary enjoyed their travels to France and Italy during retirement as well.
John’s hobbies included surfing, running marathons, hiking the hills of any city he lived in, biking, skiing, golf, tennis, literature, theater, films and music.
John leaves behind hid devoted wife Mary, who will remain for now in Ashland; his son Mark; daughter-in-law Sheela; granddaughter Sareena; along with siblings Marcia Holiday and Robert Hunt; cousins Nancy Brandt-Erichsen, Alice Rooney, Dave Gledhill, and their families.
John will be missed by family and friends alike. A small family memorial is planned for later in the year.
