John Morton Hunter

AIKEN - Mr. John Morton Hunter, 96, passed away Thursday, May 26, 2016. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, June 4, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Dr. Brian Coulter and the Reverend Art Gatewood officiating. A private inurnment will be held in the church columbarium with military honors. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the memorial service. “Pop” was born in Little Rock, AR, a son of the late John Lester Hunter and Sarah Douglas Hunter. He attended Erskine College where he met the love of his life, Mary Anderson. John served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II from 1942-1946 as pilot of a B-29, flying in the Pacific Theater. He learned the insurance business working for Travelers Insurance Co. , then moved to Aiken in 1956 to establish Hunter Insurance Agency. He accepted a position with Lyon Croft Weeks and Hunter to continue his career helping others through providing efficient and sensitive service when his customers needed his help. Mr. Hunter served Aiken Presbyterian Church for over 50 years in a variety of capacities. He and Mary were youth advisors and choir members. John also taught Sunday School and served as Clerk of Session. His civic service included Rotary Club, the Aiken Housing Authority, and the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. He was also a donor of more than 35 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross. Pop loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and they loved him back! He challenged them to learn to say the alphabet backwards (which he taught himself to do while sitting in church as a child), wrote hilarious poems to go with their birthday cards, and always tried to get “last tag” as they were leaving from a visit. None of the family ever left his house without hearing Pop yell, “Drive Carefully!” His sense of humor, wisdom, and service to others will always hold a place in the hearts of those who knew him. The family extends deep appreciation to his Hospice family and excellent care givers during the past three years at his home. His famous stories of travel, adventures, and “Popisms” will be forever shared and remembered. He is survived by his two daughters, Betts (Art) Gatewood, Charleston, SC, Melissa (Phil) Smith, St George, SC; a son, Jack (Mary) Hunter, Aiken; grandchildren Amy Hunter, Hunter Gatewood (Daniel Frattin), Chris Gatewood, Katherine (Jones) Sutherland, Melissa (Mike) Ladd, Myers Smith, Lauren Smith, Hunter (Hannah) Smith; great grandchildren, Ava Gatewood, Sydney Sutherland, Eliza Ladd, Megan Sutherland, Juliet Ladd, Harper Gatewood, and Simon Ladd. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Mary Anderson Hunter. In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to the Savannah River Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 3694, Aiken, SC 29802 and First Presbyterian Church of Aiken, 224 Barnwell Ave. Aiken SC 29801. SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC John’s online guest book may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Morton Hunter, please visit our flower store.