Royal L. Hunt
January 29, 1930 - May 15, 2023
Royal Lee Hunt, of Fremont
passed away May 15, 2023, in Fremont, Nebraska at the age of 93.
Royal was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Norris and Peg Hunt, the oldest of five boys. He attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids and the University of Colorado in Boulder. During his time in Colorado, he was a member of the ski patrol at an area resort. After college he moved to Monticello, Iowa where he was plant manager for Georgia-Pacific Paper Company for sixteen years. He then moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and became general office manager for Vigortone Agricultural Products. In 1970 he oversaw the construction of Vigortone's new plant in Fremont, where he was plant manager and vice president until his retirement in 1995.
Being quite the tennis enthusiast, when Royal moved to Fremont, he realized Fremont needed a more robust tennis community. He found 31 players who were interested in organizing a Fremont Tennis Association in which Royal was President of the first chapter. To get tennis off the ground they organized the "Fremont Open" tennis tournament, held in the summer of 1973 on four concrete courts. Tennis grew and with the help of the association, a tennis complex was built at the high school. The tournament became one of the primer events in Nebraska and was recognized as tennis tournament of the year by the Nebraska Tennis Association. Royal was tournament director for 26 years. Royal's tennis accomplishments include being named the Nebraska Outstanding Umpire in 1989; induction into the Nebraska Tennis Hall of Fame in 1988 and receiving the Nebraska Tennis Association Distinguished Service Award in 1998. He even played pickleball in his 80's.
Royal was a member and Past President of Rotary; a Scout Master, member of the Board of Directors of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce where he was Agricultural Business Chairman. He was on the Board of Directors of the Fremont Community Chest and a member of St. James Episcopal Church.
Royal loved fishing, barbequing, boating, sailing, puttering, skiing and especially his family. He was especially known for his never-ending sense of humor, which will be greatly missed!
Royal married his high school sweetheart Catharine Yuill in 1951. They were married 72 years. Royal is survived by his wife, his daughter, Victoria Ehly (Marvin) of Lincoln, sons James (Yvonne) of Montana and Peter (Cathy) of Fremont; Six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; brothers Jack (Helen) of Florida and Robert (Nancy) of Colorado.
A Celebration of Life will be held on August 12th, 2023 from 2-4pm at St. James Episcopal Church in Fremont. Memorials may be made to St. James Episcopal Church in Fremont or the Fremont YMCA with money being used for the tennis program. Please put in memo line Royal Hunt Memorial.
Online guestbook at www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com
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1249 E. 23rd St.
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