Darlene Starr Hunter

Darlene Starr Hunter, born November 12, 1933 in Ponca City Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on November 5, 2020 in Flagler Beach, FL. She was predeceased by her husband of 42 years, James Donald Hunter in 1996.

Darlene leaves behind her son Donald Richard Hunter and wife Lorraine of Concord, NH; her daughter Susan Hunter Blake and husband Jonathan of Harwich Port, MA and Palm Coast, FL; 4 grandchildren and step grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren and step great grandchildren; her sister Linda Manthey and husband Bill and 2 nieces of Portage, WI, and her companion, Richard “Dutch” Schultz of Flagler Beach, FL.

As a mother married to a 20 year navy veteran, she was left to hold down the fort while her husband was away at sea. She managed to work full time, always ensure her children had three family meals a day and that they participated in school events and extracurricular activities; spent her weekends toting her kids around to the beaches, local museums, driving them cross country to visit relatives, and always church on Sunday followed by Sunday dinner.

Darlene enjoyed playing the organ and piano, knitting, crocheting, quilting, reading, line dancing, travel, sewing, scrap booking and painting in water colors and acrylics.

Darlene was proud of her many roles and accomplishments, including her career as a paralegal and volunteer work as church organist; choir director; youth group director; many leadership roles in the United Methodist Church Women’s groups, and was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. Darlene was never shy about letting everyone know that she considered her family her greatest joy and accomplishment.

Darlene was recently requested to complete a series of questions that would be made in to a storybook. When responding to a question about what her life motto was, she responded, “I never really thought about having a motto; I just knew how I wanted to live my life. I have tried to be a good wife, a wise and understanding mother, a loyal and trustworthy friend, a good Christian and leader in my church, and an example for the youth I worked with through the years. If I condensed it, it would probably be to treat others as you would like to be treated.”

To that end, Darlene was successful in the purposeful way she chose to live her life, and will be remembered for a life well lived, full of love for her friends and family, and her devotion to God.

She was in turn deeply loved and respected by her family whom she left with the greatest gift of grateful hearts, knowing they were loved. Donations in her memory may be made to Flagler Beach United Methodist Church.