Social worker put needs of others first

5/29/2005

Robert Hunt, a social worker who spent most of his life helping children in Lucas County, died Wednesday in Toledo Hospital. He was 64.

Mr. Hunt died of complications from diabetes.

He was a quiet man who often directed attention to others and put their needs first, instead of dwelling on any hardships he might have had during his life, friends said.

"He would put other people in front of himself," said Ben Lane, a friend and former co-worker. "He was a man of strong faith."

Mr. Hunt, during his 20-year career with Lucas County Children Services, was a caseworker, an intake supervisor, and a transportation supervisor.

He was a compassionate person who loved working with children, Mr. Lane said. "He was a guy with a huge heart, a very caring person."

Mr. Hunt's daughter, Jeanine Hunt, said her father would often tell her about the challenges he faced caring for troubled children.

"When I was younger, he used to tell me about his job being a social worker and how hard it was going into the homes and removing some of the children and having to see how devastating some were living," she said. "It was hard knowing you were taking them from their parents, but realizing you were doing something to better them."

Before joining Children Services, Mr. Hunt was an investigator in northwest Ohio for the state Civil Rights Commission - a job that brought him to Toledo from Jackson, Tenn.

He received a bachelor's degree from Lane College in Jackson, and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. He remained a Wolverines fan the rest of his life.

He stressed to his family the importance of education. Until he lost his eyesight about five years ago, he was an avid Internet surfer.

After he lost his eyesight, Mr. Hunt kept up to date on changes in the Toledo community with the help of Mr. Lane, who would call him while out for walks and described what he saw as he traveled around Toledo.

"He was kind of my walking partner," Mr. Lane said. "What I would do is I would talk to him on the telephone while I was walking. Most of the areas he knew about, but I kept him up to date on changes going on."

Mr. Hunt was a member of the Bible Temple Family Worship Center and served on the deacon board and led the pastor's intercessory prayer group for two years.

He served in the Army for three years.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara Hunt; daughter, Etta Jeanine Hunt; sons, Robert Jermaine and Edward Neal Hunt; brother, Joe B. Hunt; and nine grandchildren.

The body will be in the C. Brown Funeral Home after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Services will be held at noon Thursday in the Bible Temple Family Worship Center.