Hunt matriarch honored for devotion to St. Charles
Anyone hunting for a Hunt knew where to look Thursday night.
As many as 30 members of the Hunt family were on hand at Riverside Receptions in Geneva to honor the inspirational matriarch of one of St. Charles' most well-known and philanthropic families.
Doris Hunt was honored by TriCity Family Services with the 2007 William D. Barth Award, annually bestowed upon a person in the community who has made a significant impact through volunteer work and human services.
In presenting the honor, family friend Allan Scales called Hunt an inspiration to everyone around her and the "quiet motivator" behind many community projects and organizations.
A crowd of more than 100 family and friends were on hand to see Doris Hunt receive the same honor her late husband Max Hunt earned in 1991.
The family used the memory of Max Hunt in their ploy to surprise Doris by saying the evening was actually going to be a tribute to her husband and other past Barth award recipients.
She had no idea she was to be honored until she arrived and her son Greg showed her the evening's program with her name on it front and center.
"They kept it a secret, and it worked," Hunt said. "I had a feeling something was going on when I saw my sister Sally here, because she had called earlier to see if wanted to go out, and I told her I was going to this dinner.
"It never dawned on me to ask her if she wanted to go to this, and when I saw her, I was thinking I should have asked her," Hunt added.
But the entire family was in on the secret, making the evening all the more special for Hunt.
Alongside her husband, Hunt has spent a lifetime making St. Charles and surrounding communities better places to live. Her list of contributions and activities include helping establish Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Kane County, founding TriCity Family Services and the Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice, as well as the construction of the Norris campus at St. Charles East High School.
She has also been involved in numerous arts and church programs and, as Scales pointed out, has demonstrated her kindness by sending birthday cards to every member of the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church choir for more than 25 years.
"My two favorite programs in which I had involvement were CASA and supporting the St. Charles Singers (which her son Jeff directs)," Hunt said. "And Max and I were both proud of the work we did to help Riverwoods Christian Center get started."
After receiving the award plaque, Hunt gave her husband much of the credit for her accomplishments.
"I wouldn't have done a lot of the things I did without his help and support," she said. "When I heard all of the things mentioned that Max and I have done and how much we enjoyed it, I felt that he is right here with me tonight."
Hunt was the 23rd recipient of the award, which was named in honor of William D. Barth, a founder of TriCity Family Services in 1967.
Barth and several other businessmen, including Max Hunt, created the St. Charles Youth Project, the forerunner to the current family support agency that serves more than 3,000 clients in the region.