Obituary of Robert H. Hunt

Robert Hunt, of Sidney, passed away on January 2, 2025, at about 5:30 Am after a protracted 15 year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born Robert Henry Hunt, he was born at home on 11-25-1938, the youngest son of William and Viola Hunt. He was predeceased by his brother William Arthur Hunt in September 2008. “Bob” was married to Betty J. Shaver (Place) for over 50 years, helping to raise her three sons: Charles, Steven (who passed away in 2012), and John. Mr. Hunt was the first of his family to graduate from college, from Oneonta State Teachers College in 1961. He then went to work in Milford School, teaching mathematics. Later, he was able to transfer to his hometown of Sidney, where he continued to teach Mathematics until his retirement in about 1987. His teaching style included great fun for his students, provided they worked hard and treated others respectfully and with dignity. He is best remembered for word problems and time/distance problems where he acted out the problem in great style to illustrate to his students the importance of reading the whole problem. Many remember him flying about the room with arms outstretched to emulate an airplane in flight or emulating the engineer of a locomotive, complete with sound effects. Early in his career, he was rumored to have carried a bar of soap in his pocket, for teaching the importance of clean language. Never content with a single career, Bob also worked with his brother in various and sundry business endeavors, including gas and oil lease contracting, Gold and Silver buying, and Real Estate subdivision (where the brothers were responsible for the sale of several hundred parcels of real estate across a four-county area). Most notably, Hunt-Hunt investment was one of very few such concerns that never filed for bankruptcy protections and insisted that the proprietors be legally responsible for their product. Bob was also active in his community, serving the First Baptist Church of Sidney through many pastors as education chair, Sunday school teacher, head of the Awana program, youth group leader, Teen Cadets leader, Deacon, and finally, Elder. He was a godly man who loved his savior and denounced the works of Satan his entire life. Mr. Hunt was the Chair of the Town of Sidney Republican Committee, the first in recent memory to fill the board, and worked diligently to keep elections in our town interesting and relevant. He was recognized in 2013 as the “Republican of the Years” for his work on the committee and as an election inspector for many years. Likewise, Mr. Hunt was on the Town Cemetery board and was active with the state teachers’ union. He had a reputation for being kind to children and animals alike. Robert H. Hunt is survived by two of his stepsons and their wives: Charles and Sherry Place of Oneonta and John and Cheryl Place of Deposit; also by his daughter-in-law, Rebecca Place of Guilford, NY. He is also survived by his nephew, William Hunt Jr. of Sidney (Anita Hunt, wife), and his niece, Joanne Hunt of Miami, Fl. (Ruben E. Dorta, Husband) He was also survived by 5 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Calling hours will be held at the CH Landers Funeral Home at 21 Main Street Sidney, NY on Monday, January 6th from 5 to 7 PM. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 7 at 2 PM at the First Baptist Church of Sidney 28 River Street Sidney, NY. Refreshments will be served. Burial will be private in Prospect Hill Cemetery. The family requests that, instead of flowers, donations be made to the local dollars for scholars organization.