James "Jay" Richard Hunter, Jr.

Jay Hunter (James Richard Hunter, Jr.), beloved husband, son, brother, uncle and friend, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 23, 2009. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta, Georgia. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home. Jay was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on June 29, 1946. After his father's retirement from the Navy in 1951, his mother and father moved the family back to his father's hometown of Marietta. Jay attended St. Joseph Parochial School, graduated from Marietta High School in 1964, studied at Middle Georgia College, graduated from Georgia State University and earned his Masters Degree from Georgia State University in History and Political Science. During his college years, he traveled across North Georgia with his professor and fellow students, gathering songs and stories that had been handed down for generations. This collection is archived in the Library of Congress. Jay worked as a Special Education teacher in the Atlanta school system for several years before pursuing a professional career in music. Singer, song writer, and performer. Jay's love of music began as a child and in high school he hosted a "Top 40" radio show on WFOM. Jay was blessed with a rich baritone voice and accompanied himself with acoustic guitar. His wonderful wit and wry sense of humor were evident in the clever lyrics of his songs. During his career, he played at Underground Atlanta, Rockport Music Festival, Newport Music Festival, The King and Prince on St. Simons Island, Cloisters Resort in Sea Island and Piedmont Art Festival. Most recently, to the delight of family, friends and following, he entertained at various Atlanta music venues. Jay had many hobbies and interests. He enjoyed renovating cars and motorcycles and loved to fly, earning his private pilot's license in the 1980s. Jay also had a natural talent for painting, sketching and wood-working. Jay was proud of his ancestry, including his mother's French-Canadian heritage and particularly embraced the culture of his Native American ancestry. In his later years. Jay found the love of his life, Beverly Hunter (formerly Beverly Lopez), and they married in April 2006 in Helen, Georgia. Jay lived the last years of his life enjoying the company of his beloved wife and relishing his role of step-father and grandfather to Beverly's daughter, Laura Crawford, her husband Mark and their daughter Madison and to her son, Richard Lopez, his wife Jamie and their sons Eathan and Sean. Jay was preceded in death by his father, Dick Hunter (James Richard Hunter, Sr.) former Mayor of Marietta and younger brother Frank. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, her two children, Laura Crawford (Mark) and Richard Lopez (Jamie) and three grand-children, Madison Crawford and Ethan and Sean Lopez, his mother Jeannette Quintal Hunter, brothers, Don, Tom, Chuck (Nancy), Rick, Rob (Jeanne) and Ty; sisters, Rusty Stemagle (Jim), Pattie Bagley (Mark), Jeanne Hunter, and Sherry Kaskie (Ken), as well as his aunt, Ruby Hunter, 18 nieces, 16 nephews, and 19 grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home & Crematory in Marietta in charge of arrangements.

James "Jay" Richard Hunter, Jr.

March 25, 2009