Robert E. Hunter

SCARBOROUGH – Robert E. Hunter was born in Lewiston, on March 19, 1931, the son of Jesse and Hester Bell Hunter. He was educated in Lewiston Public Schools and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1949. He attended the University of Maine receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with Highest Distinction in 1953. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering society and Phi Kappa Phi general scholarship society. He was a Life Member of Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Mr. Hunter was a veteran of the Korean Conflict serving in the Army from 1953 to 1955. Upon leaving the service he joined Edward C. Jordan Co. Inc. in Portland as an engineer. Over the next 18 years with the company he served as Chief Engineer and Vice President. He took leave from the company in 1960 to teach at the University of Maine and complete his Master of Science Degree which he was awarded in 1962.

In 1972 Mr. Hunter joined with Robert Ballew to create the consulting engineering firm of Hunter Ballew Associates. He served as President of the firm until it merged with T.Y. Lin International in 1985. After the merger Mr. Hunter served as Vice President of the firm and was manager of the Falmouth, Maine office. He left T.Y. Lin in 1992 and joined with Ralph Norris to form the consulting engineering firm of Hunter Norris P.A. He served as President of the firm until his retirement in 1996. Since his retirement he served as senior consultant to several local engineering firms.

Over his professional career Mr. Hunter provided planning, design and construction administration for numerous sewerage and pollution control systems throughout the State of Maine. While the emphasis of his career was on environmental engineering, he also planned and designed many municipal and state infrastructure projects, including residential and commercial developments, storm water management systems, transportation systems and athletic facilities. He served as consulting Town Engineer for the Town of Cape Elizabeth for 20 years.

Mr. Hunter was a Fellow and Life Member of the American Society of Engineers, serving two terms as President of the Maine Section. He was named Engineer of the Year by the Maine Section ASCE in 1989. He was a member of the American Consulting Engineers Council, serving two terms as President of Maine Consulting Engineers Council. He was also a member of the Water Environment Federation and Maine Association of Engineers.

Mr. Hunter was a Registered Professional Engineer in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and the Province of New Brunswick Canada.

Mr. Hunter loved the outdoors and spent many hours hunting and fishing with his family. He coached and refereed for the Portland Youth Hockey Association. After retirement he became an avid golfer. He was a member of the Nonesuch Golf Club in Scarborough and the Seabrook Island Golf Club in South Carolina. The family were members of the Meeting House Hill Congregational Church.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years Annunciatta (Nancy) Lawyer Hunter; daughter Judith Frothingham and son-in-law Richard Frothingham of Fort Mill, South Carolina; daughter Deborah Hunter of Scarborough; granddaughter Kathryn Frothingham of Boston; sister-in-law Karen Hanlon; nephews Jeff Hanlon, Kevin Hanlon, Michael Hunter.

Mr. Hunter was predeceased by his son Timothy in 1978.

Visiting hours will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 7, at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland. Reception to follow. 

Memorial gifts to the Maine College of Engineering and Computing can be made online, our.umaine.edu/huntermemorial or mailed to the University of Maine Foundation, Buchanan Alumni House,Two Alumni Place, Orono, Maine 04469. Please write “in memory of Robert E. Hunter”; on the memo line. For donations to the Timothy Hunter Scholarship Fund send checks payable to Cape Elizabeth School Department to Marcia Weeks at Cape Elizabeth School Department, 330 Oceanhouse Road, Cape Elizabeth 04107.