Willard Douglas Hunt

Willard Douglas “Doug” Hunt of Brinkley, Arkansas, 91, passed away peacefully at his home on April 20, 2024. Doug was born on December 10, 1932, in Heber Springs, Arkansas, to Walter Hunt and Alma Naomi Everett Hunt. He was the fifth of seven children. After their mother passed away, Doug and his two younger siblings lived alone in a home where Doug became the head of the household and the family’s sole provider at the age of 15. He worked multiple jobs to provide for them, most notably as the school bus driver beginning when he was in the ninth grade. Doug married his high school sweetheart, Darlene Johnson, on April 19, 1953, while the other seniors were off on their senior trip. After service in the Army and graduation from Arkansas State Teacher’s College (now the University of Central Arkansas), Doug and Darlene settled in Brinkley in 1959. Doug taught math at Brinkley High School for one year before becoming the finance officer for the city of Brinkley. He then became the first Executive Director of the Brinkley Housing Authority on October 1, 1963, and served in that capacity for 53 years before his retirement in 2016 at the age of 83. Never one to shy away from work, while serving as director of the Housing Authority, Doug also was a Public Accountant doing accounting and tax work over the years, managed rental properties, co-owned a trucking business, and served on the boards of the Bank of Brinkley and Folsom Memorial Library. He was also a member of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce including serving as Chamber president. He was named Brinkley Citizen of the Year in 1998. Doug was an active member of the Brinkley First United Methodist Church for 64 years where he served on a variety of committees and as a Sunday School teacher and volunteer with the youth ministry. Doug loved his church, and he fully embodied the United Methodist concept of Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. Doug and Darlene had four children, Steve, Mary K, Barbara, and David, who all graduated from Brinkley public schools. Doug and Darlene were avid supporters of the public school system and of the Brinkley Tigers, rarely missing a football or basketball game whether home or away. In recognition of their many years of unwavering support, they were given lifetime passes for Brinkley sporting events. Through the years, they provided numerous scholarships to graduates of Brinkley High School through their Hunt Family Scholarship program. When he was not working, Doug enjoyed a variety of activities over the years such as traveling the country by RV, square dancing, camping at Greers Ferry Lake, playing a mean game of dominoes, anything having to do with business, and spending time with his beloved family. He loved black coffee and met his friends every day at the coffee shop for decades. He would strike up a conversation with any stranger to learn more about them. Doug was an exceptionally good father and grandfather and made it a point to gather his family together each year at Thanksgiving to tell them to work hard, to be thankful for what they had, and to go out and seek ways to do good in the world and help other people. Doug lived his life by those principles as demonstrated each year when he provided Thanksgiving dinners to the residents in public housing. He was known for his kindness and generosity, and he was loved by all who knew him. Doug is survived by his wife of 71 years, Darlene, their two sons, Steve Hunt (Susan) of Brinkley, and David Hunt (Rhonda) of Cabot, their two daughters, Mary K Meacham (Steve) of Brinkley, and Barbara Miller (Clint) of Lonoke, his sister, Kathaleene Bailey Lafferty, of Prim, Arkansas, nine grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, and one grandson, Kyle Meacham. Visitation will be held at Brinkley First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, April 30, at 1:00. The funeral service will follow at 2:30. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Brinkley First United Methodist Church, the Monroe County Community Foundation, or the Hunt Family Scholarship Fund c/o Brinkley High School Counselor’s Office. View tribute video at www.fowlerfh.com