Edmund B. Hunt, 73, of Chandler, AZ passed away December 12, 2018 after the sudden worsening of a recently-diagnosed respiratory illness. He was born May 20, 1945 in Dublin, Ireland to Stephen and Eileen (Curran) Hunt. His family came to the US on the HMS Brittanica on a five day voyage through the stormy North Atlantic, arriving at Ellis Island in 1952.
He grew up in Chicago, graduating from St. Ignatius College Prep before attending Loyola University, where he earned a bachelor’s, then master’s degree in history. He completed his PhD at Ohio State University in 1974, focusing on ancient history. At Northeastern Illinois University, he discovered his passion for gifted and special education, earning a second master’s degree in education and embarking on a nearly 30 year career in NEIU’s Department of Special Education.
He was a teacher by nature, compelled to seek out and share knowledge throughout his life. He taught both locally and abroad, impacting thousands of teachers and countless students. He also served his colleagues as Chapter President of University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100. In 2004, he became the only union president in the nation to successfully call for, organize, and win a faculty strike in academia. He retired in 2007, and moved to Arizona five years later.
He fully embraced retirement, and spent his time gardening, making pottery, and fighting the good fight online. He turned his backyard into an oasis of cacti and succulents, ultimately serving as a board member for the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society, and he turned his garage into a studio. Most of those he left behind have at least one Hellmouth Pottery original.
Preceded in death by his parents, Stephen and Eileen Hunt, and two brothers, Stephen and Dermot Hunt, he is survived by his daughters, Cassandra, Marie and Stephanie Hunt, his youngest brother, Kevin (Eamon) Hunt, three grandchildren, two great grandchildren, two fond ex-wives, Roxanne Munch and Kay Crowley, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues,
and friends. He will be remembered by all for his kindness, advocacy, wisdom and wit.
A private memorial will be held January 20th at his home in Chandler, AZ, and a second memorial in Chicago will be planned for the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ed’s name to Corbin’s Legacy, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, or the ACLU.
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