Their acts of kindness have ripple effect in benefiting others Wil and Judy Hunter are as much a part of the fabric that makes up the small hamlet of Adams Basin as is the Erie Canal. It sometimes seems they've been there forever, but that's not the case, both are originally from small towns in Pennsylvania. The couple was living in Washington, DC when Wil was asked by his employer, Bausch & Lomb, to relocate to Rochester. "I was encouraged to find a home on the east side of the city," Wil remembers. But it was the home on six acres on Canal Road in Ogden on the west side of Rochester that captured Judy's heart. "We didn't even get out of the car; we were still in the driveway, and she said, 'this is home,' " Wil said. Forty years later, it still is. They raised their three children, Kellie, Scott and Eric and a menagerie of animals at home in the small cluster of homes and businesses that make up the hamlet. The children attended Brockport Central School and the Hunters became fixtures in the Brockport community. They believe in being involved and made it their mission to set an example for their children of giving back to the community. In 1984, Wil left the Microscope Division at Bausch & Lomb. He started his own company designing and manufacturing customized microscopes for customers all over the world. In 1997, he sold the company to a Singapore-based optical company. It was sold again in 2002 to a French company called Thales. Wil stayed with Thales until he retired in December 2002. Judy stayed at home with the children until their youngest, Eric, started school. She gave swimming lessons to area children, was involved with scouts, community youth groups, church groups, vacation bible school and numerous other activities. When Eric started first grade, she became the director and teacher of the Ogden Community Christian Preschool at Ogden Baptist Church where she stayed for 20 years. The Hunters are passionate about many of the organizations they are involved in but one that made the greatest impression is the Foreign Exchange Student Program. For several years, while their own children were growing up, the Hunters opened their doors to students from around the world. Sometimes it was only for a dinner or a holiday, other times it was for an entire school year. Some of the relationships became so close that last year the Hunters traveled to Germany for the wedding of one of their former exchange students. The young lady had asked Wil to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. Today, they are part of an organization that invites foreign dignitaries who are visiting the Rochester area into group members' homes for a meal. "If you give people a really good experience of our country, they feel good about the USA and its people. It's like throwing a stone in a pond and watching the ripples," Judy said. Their "ripples" reach far and wide across the community. Michael Myers, dean of students at Brockport High School, has known the Hunters since he taught two of their children. He says other families would do well to emulate them. "The Hunters' (commitment is) a benchmark for all families to follow. They are dedicated to each other, their friends, their community and their children's alma mater, Brockport High School. Each of the Hunter children has become successful (in part) because of their parent's hard worth ethic, and the positive interaction with people their parents came in contact with. They are a family to be admired." The children are grown now. Scott lives nearby in Fairport but two are out of town, Kellie in Boston and Eric in California. Wil and Judy retired in December 2002, but if retirement means taking it easy, the Hunters didn't get that memo. They are as busy now as ever before. The couple still attend both the high school and SUNY Brockport college games, cheering on the teams. They were recently at Brockport High School's Homecoming game and even travel to other schools to watch some of the neighborhood children play. This type of ongoing support is what endears them to their neighbors in the small, closely knit community. "This couple models all the wonderful things there are about life. They believe in the value of hard work. They believe in giving back. They are simply great people and a lot of fun to be with," neighbor and longtime friend Frank Balling said. The Hunters' financial support has benefited many organizations including the Brockport schools. Brockport Superintendent Jim Fallon is grateful for their generous sponsorship of two $2,500 scholarships given each year to Brockport High School graduates. "Their scholarships are very significant and make a difference in the lives of the award winners. We greatly appreciate the Hunter family and their community-minded efforts." Wil takes no credit for the scholarships. "The scholarships were the kids' idea. We asked them what they wanted to do and they chose that," Wil said. In the early 1990s, Wil was invited to sit on the Brockport College Foundation Board of Directors. As with everything the couple does, they embraced the college and became regular fixtures on the campus. A recent article in the alumni newsletter nicknamed them "Mr. and Mrs. SUNY Brockport." This past summer, they were inducted into SUNY Brockport's Gloria Mattera Heritage Society. This elite society is comprised of members who have made far-sighted financial provisions for support of the college. Even a hobby they do for themselves ends up benefiting others. Ogden Farmers' Library Director Patty Uttaro said, "Wil and Judy saw my poster in the library announcing the silent auction and promptly offered their sailboat for a dinner cruise. It was one of the most popular items in the auction and was won with a bid of more than $200. The y are, all around, two of the best people I've ever met," Uttaro said. The dinner cruise auctioned off was for a trip on the Hunters' 46 foot Hylas ocean sailing yacht. This past summer, with the hope of trying to capture some of the past for the future, Wil and Judy hosted a luncheon for some of the older residents of Adams Basin. "We invited the town historian, Carol Coburn, and she brought a video camera and we just let the guests reminisce," Wil said. The luncheon was a resounding success and the Hunters plan to host another one. "The stories these people tell are priceless pieces of the past that will be lost if they aren't captured on tape or at least recorded," Judy said. Last year, the Hunters' bicycling trip in Europe was chronicled in a journal recount printed in the Suburban News. This year, they ventured deep into Pennsylvania Amish country and bicycled throughout the area. They were able to meet and talk with Amish farmers, learning about customs and work days. "It takes a team of horses one full day to plow two acres," Wil said. For this well traveled couple, having witnessed first-hand the Tour deFrance, and visited places as far flung as Shanghai, Adams Basin might seem a bit tame or quiet. But to them, as Judy once said, "This is home." |
