Homer Ray Hunter, 80, of Stony Bottom, peacefully passed away Friday, March 15, 2024, surrounded by his family, following an extended illness.
Born at home May 3, 1943, in Boone County, he was a son of the late Ramie Lawrence Hunter and Zelma Baisden Hunter.
He was a proud graduate of Van High School. He maintained close relationships with those he grew up with, attending many Van High School reunions over the years.
After leaving Van, Homer enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a corporal in the Third Marine Division during the Vietnam War. While serving in Vietnam, Homer had a chance encounter with a lone Catholic missionary named Father Roy while traveling to get supplies for his unit. This led to the start of a humanitarian project that supported the newly arrived Marine division with laundry services provided by refugees, which in turn provided financial support that helped to feed and clothe 5,000 refugees fleeing the communist invasion of South Vietnam. He loved the Marine Corps and was a member of the Marine Corps League and the Veterans of Foreign Wars following his service to our country.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Homer returned home to West Virginia. He worked in construction and was a skilled masonry worker and carpenter – a hobby he continued to enjoy through the years helping countless family and friends with various projects. He began a career with E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) in 1966 at DuPont’s Belle plant where he spent more than two decades working alongside many friends.
Homer loved music and was well known throughout the Mountain State’s bluegrass music community. He spent countless hours singing and picking with friends over the years. He and his beloved cousin Ray Baisden helped form the Kanawha Valley-based band The Flattop Pickers in the late-1970s, performing together through the mid-1980s. A musical highlight for Homer was his band opening for the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe for a performance at Huntington’s Memorial Fieldhouse.
He enjoyed picking with friends at the annual Vandalia Gathering on the State Capitol Grounds each May and hosting post-Vandalia jams at his Charleston-area home for many years. What he loved the most was performing alongside his siblings, The Hunter Family, and singing the songs that the family grew up singing when their father was preaching tent revivals and church services in his native Boone County.
Following his retirement from DuPont, Homer enjoyed his retirement years at his home along the Greenbrier River near Cass and was very active in the Pocahontas County community. He continued to perform with groups in Pocahontas County and the Greenbrier Valley region, and was a dedicated supporter of Allegheny Echoes Inc., participating in their summer workshops, an annual study and celebration of West Virginia and Appalachian culture and heritage. He also was a familiar voice in the mountains of Pocahontas County, lending his talents to emcee many community events and to support Allegheny Mountain Radio in its broadcast operations as a DJ and a board member.
Homer earned acclaim with his acting debut in the 2013 motion picture “Angels Perch,” filmed on location in the Town of Cass, portraying Delbert, the endearing local postman who was also rather popular with the ladies. J.T. Arbogast, the film’s writer and star, said of Homer’s on-screen performance that he “just about stole the film away from everyone else… he’d never acted a day in his life, but you sure wouldn’t have known it by his performance.”
Above all else, Homer loved his family and he loved the Lord. His presence will be missed in our lives daily, but the many memories that he created with those he loved and cherished will live on forever. Thankfully, there are many videos online where his music can still be heard and his larger than life personality still shines.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Henry (Mary), Harry, Hansel (Carolyn), Herman and Hershel “Doc” Hunter; and sisters Roberta (Harley) Harbison and Sue Maison.
Homer is survived by his daughter, Greta McHugh, and her husband, John, of Charleston; the joy of his life, his granddaughters, Brenda Grace, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Olivia Rose, of Charleston; sisters-in-law, Barbara Hunter, of Millwood, Elsie Hunter, of Vienna, and Kathy Hunter, of Mason; several nieces, nephews and cousins, and countless friends.
Everyone Homer met was a new friend. The family would like to thank all those friends who called, sent cards and traveled from around the country to spend time with him this last year. Your kindness brightened his days and warmed his heart.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the Pocahontas County Opera House in Marlinton.
Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. with a service at 6 p.m.
Following the service, there will be an informal concert where Homer’s friends will share their music and memories.
