Robert N. Hunt, MD June 23, 1941 - Dec. 24, 2019 SOUTH BEND, IN - Robert Neal Hunt, M.D, 78, passed away the morning of December 24, 2019 at home surrounded by his loving family due to complications of pneumonia. He was a tremendous asset at the South Bend medical community for over 40 years, specializing in Infectious Disease. Dr. Hunt was born on June 23, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Horace and Edith Hunt who preceded him in death. He was a graduate of Central High School, class 211, in January 1959. After graduating from The Pennsylvania State University in 1962, he completed medical school at Temple University in 1966. Upon graduation, he went on to complete a medical internship in Internal Medicine at District of Columbia General Hospital in 1967. He enlisted in the United States Air Force as a First Lieutenant from 1969 until 1971, serving primarily in Thailand. He completed his attending residency in Internal Medicine at the New York Hospital - Cornell Campus in 1971. In 1972 he completed his fellowship in Infectious disease at The New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force as a Captain in 1973. After practicing in Massachusetts for four years, Dr. Hunt moved to South Bend in 1976, and began his nearly 40 year practice of Infectious Disease. It was at this time, while working at Saint Joseph Medical Center that he met his wife Mary Theresa (Jankowski) who preceded him in death. The two were married in 1981 at Our Lady of Fatima on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and enjoyed 30 years of marriage until her passing on December 7, 2011. The father of four boys, he enjoyed spending his time outside of the hospital watching their sporting events, listening to Miles Davis and classical music, playing by the pool, reading The New England Journal of Medicine, playing the stock market with his best friend Jim Moore who also preceded him in death, and walking his adored pugs. He was an avid reader, with a remarkable library at home. He was an accomplished photographer. His photographs were proudly displayed in his office, home, and in the homes of those fortunate recipients of his work. His love of classical music was also manifested in his many years of service as chairman of the board for the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. During his retirement, he also enjoyed spending time volunteering as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in South Bend. A special part of Dr. Hunt rests in Granby, Colorado at the C Lazy U Ranch where endless summer days and winter nights were spent as a family riding horses and skiing in the mountains. Dr. Hunt will be remembered as a pioneer of Infections Disease, serving as the area's only provider for numerous years when HIV/AIDs, IV drug use, foreign disease, and antibiotic resistance were just becoming known. His presence at Memorial, Saint Joseph, and Elkhart General Hospitals saved countless lives during the course of his practice. He was highly respected by his medical colleagues and often feared by the nursing staff as they would try to decipher his unique penmanship. His dry, sometimes biting, sense of humor is something all will remember him by. His commitment to medicine and compassion for his patients was unmatched. Dr. Hunt is survived by his four sons; Gregory (Danielle) of Los Angeles, CA, David (Christine) of Chicago, IL, Timothy (Ryanne) of Granger, IN, and Kevin of Indianapolis, IN and his 5 grandchildren Julian, Theresa, Noah, Henry, and Andrew; and a sister Virginia (Robert) Goldberg of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. The family would like to extend a special thanks to the nurses and staff of Heartland Hospice & the numerous aids who helped in his final days. Family, friends and colleagues may visit with the Hunt family on Thursday, January 2, 2020 from 4 - 7 PM at Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Rd, South Bend, Indiana. In Lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, PO Box 32141, New York, NY 10087-2141.
12/27/2019 JFC
