John Hunter - In Memoriam
by Fred T. Beeman
I was going to author some concise words about my very good friend John Curtis Hunter, but decided that the very BEST way for him to be remembered, is with his own words.
John had his own website (now defunct) called, "Stuff you probably don't care about," but I think that if you knew him (and respected/liked him as I did), you might have found what he wrote to be, at the very least, "interesting."
He wrote about darn-near everything, including politics, sex, religion, Mensa® and the many books he read, because he was a voracious reader and had one of the largest private libraries I have ever seen.
And regarding death, he quoted singer/compser Joni Mitchell, who said, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"
He also quoted his ex-wife who wrote, "Life is queer with its twists and turns, as each of us sometimes learns."
Here are some things you may not have known about him:
He was born on April 16, 1948, meaning he was 64 at the time of his passing. He was the son of William J. Hunter and the former Helen Curtis (both deceased). His former occupation was that of an accountant, and he was retired from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo).
John suffered his entire life with ArterioVenous Malformation or AVM, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries, usually congenital. This pathology is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. An ArterioVenous Malformation is a vascular anomaly. This condition caused him to have epileptic seizures only on the left side of his body, and it rendered his left arm non-functional, but surprisingly, both of his legs functioned enough so that he could walk short distances with the aid of a cane.
He was fiercely independent, and after the death of his friend and platonic roommate, Hillary Litwak (in 2005), John refused to have another roommate, a fatal decision I believe, because if he had accepted my offer to find him a live-in housekeeper and companion, he might still be alive today.
His attitude was basically, "If you don't use it, you will lose it," and felt that a caretaker living with him would be "surrendering" his independence and personal mobility. For example, I offered to assist him with obtaining one of those electric wheelchair/scooter devices and he said, "Once you get INTO one of those things, you will never get OUT of them."
His involvement in Mensa® (a Life member since 1977) was a remarkable achievement for him, because Mensa®, particularly the Las Vegas Valley chapter, allowed him to conquer and vanquish (without any drugs whatsoever) one of his greatest personal (and unspoken) fears: Agoraphobia. So, it is indeed a testament to his stubbornness and determination that he dealt with that fear head-on and simply made it "go away." It also explains why he wanted to host a once-a-week local gathering, so his fellow Mensans® could come to an event where he could meet them and chat about a plethora of subjects. His hobby was taking oceanliner cruises, which he often did with a few female friends.
John wasn't all that much of a talker in groups, unfortunately, but he was an excellent listener, hanging intently on every word spoken to him, and he had no hesitation about expressing his opinions, when asked.
He was also a mass of contradictions, in a way. For example, he was a lifelong member of the Libertarian Party, but refused to register to vote. His reason was that he didn't wish to be summoned for jury duty, believing (wrongly) that if he had neither a driver's license nor a voter registration card, being called would be impossible. But, just a few short weeks ago, he was summoned for jury duty (and later excused) because his name was pulled from the property tax rolls. His personalized license plate on his Chevy Malibu (which he could have driven, had he wanted to) read, "VOTE NO."
So how should I best remember and "summarize" him?
He was an intensely private and, by his own admission, a somewhat cynical man who had few friends (by his own choice) who met (and dealt with) his challenges with concentration, determination, good humor and a bit of sarcasm, on occasion. He loved to laugh and would sometimes publicly tease those whom he liked, to let them know that he liked them.
Most importantly, I believe, is that he never had a public unkind word to say against anyone, save politicians (a favorite target).
He was an all-around good guy, and I considered it an honor to know him and be his friend. I'll think about him every single day, for the rest of my life.
Rest in peace, John.
by Fred T. Beeman
I was going to author some concise words about my very good friend John Curtis Hunter, but decided that the very BEST way for him to be remembered, is with his own words.
John had his own website (now defunct) called, "Stuff you probably don't care about," but I think that if you knew him (and respected/liked him as I did), you might have found what he wrote to be, at the very least, "interesting."
He wrote about darn-near everything, including politics, sex, religion, Mensa® and the many books he read, because he was a voracious reader and had one of the largest private libraries I have ever seen.
And regarding death, he quoted singer/compser Joni Mitchell, who said, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"
He also quoted his ex-wife who wrote, "Life is queer with its twists and turns, as each of us sometimes learns."
Here are some things you may not have known about him:
He was born on April 16, 1948, meaning he was 64 at the time of his passing. He was the son of William J. Hunter and the former Helen Curtis (both deceased). His former occupation was that of an accountant, and he was retired from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo).
John suffered his entire life with ArterioVenous Malformation or AVM, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries, usually congenital. This pathology is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. An ArterioVenous Malformation is a vascular anomaly. This condition caused him to have epileptic seizures only on the left side of his body, and it rendered his left arm non-functional, but surprisingly, both of his legs functioned enough so that he could walk short distances with the aid of a cane.
He was fiercely independent, and after the death of his friend and platonic roommate, Hillary Litwak (in 2005), John refused to have another roommate, a fatal decision I believe, because if he had accepted my offer to find him a live-in housekeeper and companion, he might still be alive today.
His attitude was basically, "If you don't use it, you will lose it," and felt that a caretaker living with him would be "surrendering" his independence and personal mobility. For example, I offered to assist him with obtaining one of those electric wheelchair/scooter devices and he said, "Once you get INTO one of those things, you will never get OUT of them."
His involvement in Mensa® (a Life member since 1977) was a remarkable achievement for him, because Mensa®, particularly the Las Vegas Valley chapter, allowed him to conquer and vanquish (without any drugs whatsoever) one of his greatest personal (and unspoken) fears: Agoraphobia. So, it is indeed a testament to his stubbornness and determination that he dealt with that fear head-on and simply made it "go away." It also explains why he wanted to host a once-a-week local gathering, so his fellow Mensans® could come to an event where he could meet them and chat about a plethora of subjects. His hobby was taking oceanliner cruises, which he often did with a few female friends.
John wasn't all that much of a talker in groups, unfortunately, but he was an excellent listener, hanging intently on every word spoken to him, and he had no hesitation about expressing his opinions, when asked.
He was also a mass of contradictions, in a way. For example, he was a lifelong member of the Libertarian Party, but refused to register to vote. His reason was that he didn't wish to be summoned for jury duty, believing (wrongly) that if he had neither a driver's license nor a voter registration card, being called would be impossible. But, just a few short weeks ago, he was summoned for jury duty (and later excused) because his name was pulled from the property tax rolls. His personalized license plate on his Chevy Malibu (which he could have driven, had he wanted to) read, "VOTE NO."
So how should I best remember and "summarize" him?
He was an intensely private and, by his own admission, a somewhat cynical man who had few friends (by his own choice) who met (and dealt with) his challenges with concentration, determination, good humor and a bit of sarcasm, on occasion. He loved to laugh and would sometimes publicly tease those whom he liked, to let them know that he liked them.
Most importantly, I believe, is that he never had a public unkind word to say against anyone, save politicians (a favorite target).
He was an all-around good guy, and I considered it an honor to know him and be his friend. I'll think about him every single day, for the rest of my life.
Rest in peace, John.
John Hunter - In Memoriam
by Fred T. Beeman
I was going to author some concise words about my very good friend John Curtis Hunter, but decided that the very BEST way for him to be remembered, is with his own words.
John had his own website (now defunct) called, "Stuff you probably don't care about," but I think that if you knew him (and respected/liked him as I did), you might have found what he wrote to be, at the very least, "interesting."
He wrote about darn-near everything, including politics, sex, religion, Mensa® and the many books he read, because he was a voracious reader and had one of the largest private libraries I have ever seen.
And regarding death, he quoted singer/compser Joni Mitchell, who said, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"
He also quoted his ex-wife who wrote, "Life is queer with its twists and turns, as each of us sometimes learns."
Here are some things you may not have known about him:
He was born on April 16, 1948, meaning he was 64 at the time of his passing. He was the son of William J. Hunter and the former Helen Curtis (both deceased). His former occupation was that of an accountant, and he was retired from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo).
John suffered his entire life with ArterioVenous Malformation or AVM, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries, usually congenital. This pathology is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. An ArterioVenous Malformation is a vascular anomaly. This condition caused him to have epileptic seizures only on the left side of his body, and it rendered his left arm non-functional, but surprisingly, both of his legs functioned enough so that he could walk short distances with the aid of a cane.
He was fiercely independent, and after the death of his friend and platonic roommate, Hillary Litwak (in 2005), John refused to have another roommate, a fatal decision I believe, because if he had accepted my offer to find him a live-in housekeeper and companion, he might still be alive today.
His attitude was basically, "If you don't use it, you will lose it," and felt that a caretaker living with him would be "surrendering" his independence and personal mobility. For example, I offered to assist him with obtaining one of those electric wheelchair/scooter devices and he said, "Once you get INTO one of those things, you will never get OUT of them."
His involvement in Mensa® (a Life member since 1977) was a remarkable achievement for him, because Mensa®, particularly the Las Vegas Valley chapter, allowed him to conquer and vanquish (without any drugs whatsoever) one of his greatest personal (and unspoken) fears: Agoraphobia. So, it is indeed a testament to his stubbornness and determination that he dealt with that fear head-on and simply made it "go away." It also explains why he wanted to host a once-a-week local gathering, so his fellow Mensans® could come to an event where he could meet them and chat about a plethora of subjects. His hobby was taking oceanliner cruises, which he often did with a few female friends.
John wasn't all that much of a talker in groups, unfortunately, but he was an excellent listener, hanging intently on every word spoken to him, and he had no hesitation about expressing his opinions, when asked.
He was also a mass of contradictions, in a way. For example, he was a lifelong member of the Libertarian Party, but refused to register to vote. His reason was that he didn't wish to be summoned for jury duty, believing (wrongly) that if he had neither a driver's license nor a voter registration card, being called would be impossible. But, just a few short weeks ago, he was summoned for jury duty (and later excused) because his name was pulled from the property tax rolls. His personalized license plate on his Chevy Malibu (which he could have driven, had he wanted to) read, "VOTE NO."
So how should I best remember and "summarize" him?
He was an intensely private and, by his own admission, a somewhat cynical man who had few friends (by his own choice) who met (and dealt with) his challenges with concentration, determination, good humor and a bit of sarcasm, on occasion. He loved to laugh and would sometimes publicly tease those whom he liked, to let them know that he liked them.
Most importantly, I believe, is that he never had a public unkind word to say against anyone, save politicians (a favorite target).
He was an all-around good guy, and I considered it an honor to know him and be his friend. I'll think about him every single day, for the rest of my life.
Rest in peace, John.
by Fred T. Beeman
I was going to author some concise words about my very good friend John Curtis Hunter, but decided that the very BEST way for him to be remembered, is with his own words.
John had his own website (now defunct) called, "Stuff you probably don't care about," but I think that if you knew him (and respected/liked him as I did), you might have found what he wrote to be, at the very least, "interesting."
He wrote about darn-near everything, including politics, sex, religion, Mensa® and the many books he read, because he was a voracious reader and had one of the largest private libraries I have ever seen.
And regarding death, he quoted singer/compser Joni Mitchell, who said, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"
He also quoted his ex-wife who wrote, "Life is queer with its twists and turns, as each of us sometimes learns."
Here are some things you may not have known about him:
He was born on April 16, 1948, meaning he was 64 at the time of his passing. He was the son of William J. Hunter and the former Helen Curtis (both deceased). His former occupation was that of an accountant, and he was retired from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo).
John suffered his entire life with ArterioVenous Malformation or AVM, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries, usually congenital. This pathology is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. An ArterioVenous Malformation is a vascular anomaly. This condition caused him to have epileptic seizures only on the left side of his body, and it rendered his left arm non-functional, but surprisingly, both of his legs functioned enough so that he could walk short distances with the aid of a cane.
He was fiercely independent, and after the death of his friend and platonic roommate, Hillary Litwak (in 2005), John refused to have another roommate, a fatal decision I believe, because if he had accepted my offer to find him a live-in housekeeper and companion, he might still be alive today.
His attitude was basically, "If you don't use it, you will lose it," and felt that a caretaker living with him would be "surrendering" his independence and personal mobility. For example, I offered to assist him with obtaining one of those electric wheelchair/scooter devices and he said, "Once you get INTO one of those things, you will never get OUT of them."
His involvement in Mensa® (a Life member since 1977) was a remarkable achievement for him, because Mensa®, particularly the Las Vegas Valley chapter, allowed him to conquer and vanquish (without any drugs whatsoever) one of his greatest personal (and unspoken) fears: Agoraphobia. So, it is indeed a testament to his stubbornness and determination that he dealt with that fear head-on and simply made it "go away." It also explains why he wanted to host a once-a-week local gathering, so his fellow Mensans® could come to an event where he could meet them and chat about a plethora of subjects. His hobby was taking oceanliner cruises, which he often did with a few female friends.
John wasn't all that much of a talker in groups, unfortunately, but he was an excellent listener, hanging intently on every word spoken to him, and he had no hesitation about expressing his opinions, when asked.
He was also a mass of contradictions, in a way. For example, he was a lifelong member of the Libertarian Party, but refused to register to vote. His reason was that he didn't wish to be summoned for jury duty, believing (wrongly) that if he had neither a driver's license nor a voter registration card, being called would be impossible. But, just a few short weeks ago, he was summoned for jury duty (and later excused) because his name was pulled from the property tax rolls. His personalized license plate on his Chevy Malibu (which he could have driven, had he wanted to) read, "VOTE NO."
So how should I best remember and "summarize" him?
He was an intensely private and, by his own admission, a somewhat cynical man who had few friends (by his own choice) who met (and dealt with) his challenges with concentration, determination, good humor and a bit of sarcasm, on occasion. He loved to laugh and would sometimes publicly tease those whom he liked, to let them know that he liked them.
Most importantly, I believe, is that he never had a public unkind word to say against anyone, save politicians (a favorite target).
He was an all-around good guy, and I considered it an honor to know him and be his friend. I'll think about him every single day, for the rest of my life.
Rest in peace, John.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
