Thomas Evans Hunt, 73, of Crookston, MN, passed away at his rural home Monday evening, February 13, 2023, comforted by family at his side. With the love and support of his wife, Carol, and their family, they had all been as one while valiantly battling Tom’s rare form of leukemia diagnosed in late 2018.
Tom was born on May 19, 1949, one of 4 children of the union of Richard and Catherine (Kennedy) Hunt. He and his 3 sisters spent their earliest years growing up in Martinez, CA before moving to Crockett, CA in 1962. There he was confirmed in St. Rose Catholic Church and was a graduate of John Swett High School with the Class of 1967. Tom was a gifted athlete in all sports, but his prowess on the basketball court earned him a scholarship to play for the D-1 Gonzaga University Basketball Program at Spokane, WA. He was a point guard for the Bulldogs throughout his career and gained the respect of teammates and opposing players alike as a fierce competitor who had a lot of grit. During his Senior year, he was voted the Most Inspirational Player of the Year by his teammates. Those bonds of brotherhood that were formed almost 50 years ago have proven to be just as strong today as they were back then.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga in 1972 Tom followed his coach to Montana State University in Bozeman where he started his own coaching career as an assistant with the Bobcats. He soon met a young co-ed from Crookston, MN by the name of Carol Jean Reitmeier. Carol began teaching in Bozeman and Tom continued coaching while their commitment to each other was made complete during a wedding ceremony held at Big Sky, MT on September 18, 1976. Tom and Carol soon moved to West Fargo, ND and Tom began teaching marketing at nearby Casselton High School while also serving as head coach for the boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, and track programs. Eventually, the family, which had grown to include daughter, Katie, moved to rural Crookston to the farm where Carol grew up. Son, Carl, was soon born to make their family complete. In 1981 Tom began the commute to Thief River Falls, MN where he would coach the Lincoln High School Prowlers boys’ basketball team. He built a solid and successful program that included taking his team to the Regional Finals in 1988. Through his respect for his players, and leadership by example, Tom not only mentored some pretty good basketball kids but he also helped turn out some awfully fine young men as well. In 1991 he left coaching to become Assistant Principal at Lincoln High. During this time Tom was working toward an MBA with a concentration in Administration which he earned from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, MN. He later became the Principal, serving until his retirement in 2009.
Tom and Carol were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church while living in West Fargo, followed by membership at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Crookston. Tom served on the Educational Church Board of Our Savior’s School and taught Sunday school. He had also been a member of the Thief River Falls Rotary Club.
Tom will be long remembered for his kindness, humility, and compassion. He always found good things to say about others, enjoyed life to the fullest, and could make everyone smile. He loved golfing with his buddies and because of that competitive nature of his, made sure the guys knew to bring their ‘A’ game to the course….. because he also loved taking their money. Following Gonzaga basketball was great; attending games occasionally in person with Carol at the McCarthey Arena in Spokane was the greatest! Some of Tom’s most satisfying moments were watching his own children compete in the sports they loved. He never missed an event or game they were involved in and was always Katie and Carl’s number one fan. The same thing could be said when it came to watching his grandkids play sports and attending their other events which made Tom a very proud Grandpa. Being surrounded by his loving family was all he could ever ask for.
Tom is survived by Carol, his beloved wife of 46 years; their children, Katie Fee and husband, Andy, of Crookston, MN; Clarence “Carl” Hunt and wife, Dawn, of Cave Creek, AZ; 4 grandchildren: Addie and Kelby Fee, and Brynlee and Archie Hunt; 2 sisters, Kathy Kennedy of Senora, CA and Michael Dern and her husband, Kris, of Napa, CA; 4 brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Jan and Dick Hanson of W. Chicago, IL, Elaine and Corky Miller of Euclid, MN, and Connie and Dan Cooley and Jim and Robin Reitmeier of Crookston; together with many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Catherine Hunt; sister and brother-in-law, Peggy and Bob Smith; parents-in-law, Clarence and Doris Reitmeier; and infant brother-in-law, Calvin Reitmeier. Tom deeply loved his family and his memory will be a treasure to them forever.
The funeral service for Tom Hunt will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 21, 2023, in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Crookston, with The Rev. Steve Bohler, officiating. Visitation will be at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home on Monday from 5-7:00 p.m., with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, and visitation will continue at the church for one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will take place in Oakdale Cemetery in the spring. Both the prayer and funeral services will be live-streamed by going to Tom’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske shortly before their scheduled starts and clicking on the prompt to view. Messages of condolence to Carol and the family may be offered at the funeral home website as well.
