Larry Joe Hunt

Born on May 19, 1928, in Hollywood, CA, Larry faced adversity early in his life, losing his father during the Great Depression when he was just six years old. To support his mother and sister, a very young Larry sold the Hollywood Citizen News on busy street corners, marking the start of a lifetime of resourcefulness and entrepreneurship.

Larry attended Hollywood High School excelling in football, track, and boxing. During WWII he contributed to the war effort hauling sheet metal at Lockheed for the P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft. After graduating he went to work for Standard Oil working the Inglewood oil fields.

In 1951, Larry was drafted into the U.S. Army and shipped off to Korea. Upon arrival, he was immediately reassigned to Japan where he served two years as a manager of the officer’s club at Camp Fowler in Sendai adding “Lucky Larry” to his life’s description, a self-proclaimed moniker.

Upon his return to the U.S., Larry managed a gas station where a flip of a coin won him the lucky opportunity to service the car of the gorgeous Virginia. Smitten from the start, Larry and Virginia married within three months and began a 62 year marriage of building a business and raising a family.

In 1955, the couple moved to Laguna Beach and purchased their first home along with their first business, a Mobil gas station on Broadway and Pacific Coast Highway. They were great business partners with Larry dreaming of expansion and Virginia balancing with financial caution. Together their business ventures grew to include a tire shop, a Texaco station, and ultimately, their own Larry Hunt Auto Center on Laguna Canyon Road. Larry was quite a fixture in Laguna Beach with a great reputation for honesty and smarts when it came to automobiles and people. He became a beloved figure known by all who needed their car serviced in this small town.

Larry's commitment to his community extended beyond business. He served as President of the Rotary Club, President of Little League, President of the Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of the South Coast Medical Center (now Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach).

Larry retired in 1991 and embarked on becoming a good golfer at the El Niguel Country Club, cruising the world with Virgie, and playing liars poker with his buddies at their local watering hole, the White House. His greatest enjoyment was getting together with his friends where Larry’s jovial stories became more remarkable through the years.

His family takes comfort in knowing he lived a full life, embodying the American dream through hard work, a touch of luck, and financial success with honesty and consideration for others.

He is survived by his daughter Carole Williams (Monty), his sons Gary Hunt (Karen) and John Callis (Happy), his grandchildren Michele Williams, Paul Williams (Lisa), Brendan Hunt, Garrett Hunt, William Callis (Danielle), Jay Callis, his great-grandchildren Madison Williams, Marshall Williams, and Dorothy Callis. Larry was predeceased by Virginia and his sister Jean.