Barbara Jean "BJ" Hunt

June 27, 1934 to July 2, 2026

Barbara Hunt passed away on July 2, 2026 at Kennewick, Washington.

Barbara was born in Broken Bow Nebraska 6/27/1934. Her parents migrated to SW Idaho in 1936, as many families did because of the Great Depression. They settled in Homedale, ID, a small community where her father farmed for many years.

She married young and proved to the world that it worked. She and Don Hunt were married on January 7, 1951 and celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in January of 2026. Their first child, Sandra Lee, was born in 1952.

Almost immediately after marriage she got a job locally in Caldwell at a little grocery store around the corner from their apartment. She had several jobs in Idaho until they moved to Othello, WA in 1954. While in Othello they had two more children, Dan in 1957 and Susan in 1959. BJ took a job at the junior high school in Othello when her oldest left for college. They made their home in Othello until 1980, when Don got a job offer in New Mexico. When he asked BJ what she thought about moving to New Mexico, she said "Where you go I go." His job took them through New Mexico, Colorado, and later to Minnesota.

BJ dove in wherever they went, finding things to do. She was an avid reader, and she volunteered at libraries. She also took up painting in New Mexico and discovered that she had a talent for it. She became a very accomplished painter.

In 1991 they moved back to Hermiston, OR for Don's job. When Don retired in 2002, they moved to a home on the golf course in Kennewick. When Don started golfing, she took lessons and began golfing with him. Neither of them had a great talent for golfing, but they enjoyed golf and traveling after Don retired.

She was a lovely, warm woman who made friends wherever she went. Even in her last few years she maintained her friendliness, love for life, and her sense of humor.

She leaves behind her husband Don, her three children, Sandra Marshall, Dan Hunt, and Susan Le Doux, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.