Norman Donald Hunt

God saw you getting tired

A cure was not to be,

He put His arms around you

And whispered “Come with Me”

Our tearful eyes watched you suffer

And saw you fade away

Although we loved you dearly,

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Laying loving hands at rest,

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

Author Unknown

For all you that don’t know me I am Jeff Hunt Norm’s grandson. Norm married Joyce Burns on Oct 25 1945; they had 2 boys Don and Dave. I am the youngest of 4 grandchildren and from the grandchildren there are 9 great grandchildren. I spent a lot of time with my Granma and Grandpa. My dad always called grandpa pop and somewhere along the way we started calling him Poppy. And it has been ever since.

My first memories of Poppy where driving to the cottage and poppy saying what kind of bird is that and me saying I don’t know and grandpa telling what is was. Eventually I could tell poppy most birds he pointed at. Our love of birds changed one day at the cottage. As I was widdling a stick with a knife and poppy said you could widdle a bird so I tried it. With grandpa telling me to take a little more off because birds are skinny and sleek, not fat and sassy, and that lead to the detailed bird carving we did.

I spent many Weekends and summers with my grandparents. As I got older I became the maintenance boy at the cottage; with poppy teaching me. It started with get the water line out, to getting the pump going. To soldering copper pipe and painting and electrical. Lawn work and building things and poppy teaching me and believing that I could do it. I am not a bad teacher myself and it doesn’t bother me to stop what I doing to show someone how to do something, just like poppy did for me.

There were plenty of times people came to ask for grandpas help with lawn mowers or whatever and He always tried to help not always successful but he tried. Like poppy, I try to help everyone who asks for my help. Maybe more than I should but it’s the right thing to do, like I was shown. I can’t think of a time when I heard grandpa speak badly about anyone. Wish I could say the same.

Over the years our family had plenty of good times at our cottage in Wiarton. There were plenty of horseshoe games. I might have even won one or two with grandpa’s advice. Poppy loved to play cards and yard sale and fish and we did it all at the cottage.

My poppy taught me to be the person I am today and you can tell he left a big impression on me.

The last thing grandpa said to me was that I was going to be ok and he loved me. I am going to be ok because I know that grandpa know I need to hear him say that. I am going to be ok and I love him very much and I will cherish our memories for ever.

I leave you with a poem poppy loved that was on a grave stone in the field behind our cottage for a father and daughter from 1863

HARK ANGELS WHISPER ME AWAY, MY PARTNER DEAR ADOUE, IN THE SWEET REALEAM OF ENDLESS DAY OUR LOVE WE WILL RENEW.

Read by Don Hunt, Norm’s older son

Norm Hunt was my father. When asked what kind of man he was, I’d have to say he was as kind and honest as the day is long. He was a wonderful father for my brother David and me, a devoted son for his parents, Norm and Alice, a big brother to Shirley and a loving husband of Joyce.

In the last few days, David and I have been thinking about dad and jotting down a few thoughts about his life with us. You’d think we had different fathers as our remembrances are so different. I would like to read an excerpt from my brother’s thoughts….

“Dad loved to play cards, any kind of cards, Euchre, Bridge, Hearts, War and any other new game. You really had to keep a close eye on him. If you didn’t, you might not get to deal before the game was finished. He was pretty tricky. Dave thought dad’s record was seven deals in a row before someone would say ‘Hey! Didn’t you just deal?’ Dad would say ‘Yes, I think you’re right’ and pass the cards over. In Euchre, you also had to watch him as he would make trump without having one in his hand. If caught, he would say “Oh, that’s an old ladies game”. God love him though, he came by it honestly as his mother was even better at it than he was.

Dave remembers the ladies not being able to figure out how the men always seemed to win at cards at our house, until finally they caught on about the big mirror on the wall behind them. Funny how the women started to win after a blanket was placed over the mirror.”

Dad had a few careers and hobbies in his lifetime. He started out working in a hardware store in Hamilton, became a salesman that supplied hardware stores in Southern Ontario. He managed a hardware store in Galt. When that closed, he found a job at Babcock Wilcox. He used to say “yesterday I couldn’t spell expeditor and now I am one”. Speaking of Babcock Wilcox, yesterday, I was speaking to dad’s sister, aunt Shirley. She mentioned that years ago, she was golfing in Sarasota Florida when the fellow she and Frank had been paired up with, said he lived in Cambridge. She said he had a brother that lived in Cambridge and worked at Babcock Wilcox. Turned out the fellow also worked there and knew dad. He said dad was a fine gentleman, the salt of the earth.

Dad’s hobbies included fishing and bird carving. I’m sure you have all seen the beautiful birds that dad carved and mom painted. There are three fine examples displayed here today. Dad taught David and me to fish early on. He taught us to catch soft crabs all morning and then show up the locals by catching bigger Perch off the government wharf at Oxenden on Colpoy’s Bay. I remember dad one day fishing for Perch with a long bamboo pole and fixed line. Most of the Perch were a pound or two but dad hooked into a monster carp that he couldn’t lift up to the dock without breaking the line. He had to put the pole under the lines holding fishing boats all the way to the shore and then we dragged that huge fish up on the shore. People couldn’t believe the size of that fish. I asked David if he remembered that fish. He did remember it and added to the story. He said that he and I struggled to put the fish in the car. We took it to the cottage and dad decided to play and joke on the neighbours next door. He tied the fish’s tail to the front door knob and knocked. When Auntie Pudge opened the door with that big carp flopping around, she tried to take a round out of dad but he had snuck away leaving David and me to take the brunt of it. He loved a good joke.

I have many more stories about dad but I’ll close with this short one.

Mom and dad loved being at their cottage near Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula. Above the cottage in the middle of nowhere, there is a small grave enclosure for a father and daughter that passed away in the mid 1800’s. My dad always loved that quite spot but wasn’t able to get to it in the last few years. There was a saying on the father’s grave stone that both my parents loved. It has long since worn away but I thought my mom would like to hear this once more. It’s beautiful.

Hark angels whisper me away,

My partner dear adieu.

In the sweet realms of endless day

Our love we will renew.

Poems read by Bryan Hunt, grandson of Norm Hunt

Death Is A Door - Nancy Byrd Turner

Death is only an old door

Set in a garden wall

On gentle hinges it gives, at dusk

When the thrushes call.

Along the lintel are green leaves

Beyond the light lies still;

Very willing and weary feet

Go over that sill.

There is nothing to trouble any heart;

Nothing to hurt at all.

Death is only a quiet door.

In an old wall.

Nancy Byrd Turner

Word - Unknown

There is a word, of grief the sounding token.

There is a word bejeweled with bright tears.

The saddest word fond lips have ever spoken,

A little word that breaks the chain of years.

Its utterance must ever bring emotion,

The memories it crystals cannot die.

‘Tis known in every land, on every ocean,

It is

Goodbye.

Read by Bryan Hunt, Norm’s grandson

Choral Benediction

Go now in peace, never be afraid.

God will go with you each hour of ev’ry day.

Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.

Know He will guide you in all you do.

Go now in love and show you believe,

Reach out to others, so all the world can see.

God will be there, watching from above.

Go now in peace, in faith and in love.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

* * * * * * * * * *

Passed away peacefully at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Monday June 11, 2012 at age 86. Beloved husband of Joyce. Loving father of Don (Louise) and Dave (Brenda). Dearly loved Grandfather of Scott, Bryan, Greg, and Jeff and by his nine Great Grandchildren. Norman is also survived by one sister Shirley Junkin. At his request cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service will be held at the Barthel Funeral Home, 566 Queenston Road, Cambridge (519-653-3251) on Saturday June 16, 2012 at 2 pm with visitation one hour prior to service time. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family.