Richard H. Hunley

Richard Hooper Hunley, age 78, died March 31 at his home in Knoxville.

Mr. Hunley was a kind and gregarious man who loved golf, grilling, music, the beach, football, “The Andy Griffith Show,” vanilla ice cream, making people laugh, and, above all, his family.

Mr. Hunley was born on Oct. 12, 1946, the only son of Reva Beeler Hunley and Richard Hooper Hunley Sr. He was the third of four children; one sister, Iva “Peggy” Miller, preceded him in death. Two sisters survive him: Joan (Jack) Bright and Judy (Bill) Todd.

Mr. Hunley was a graduate of the University of Tennessee and worked in sales for nearly 50 years. After his retirement, he enjoyed spending time with his beloved wife, Judy, and her sister and brother-in-law, Betty Ann and Greg Campbell.

Mr. Hunley will be remembered for his humor and for his enthusiasm for solving the problems of his daughters and anyone else he cared about. He was generous with his time and his good advice on anything from appliance repair to researching new cars. If one of his daughters mentioned needing something, she might be surprised by a package from Amazon within a day or two. He loved his family more than anything, and they all knew they could count on him. Mr. Hunley spent his last day on earth helping his former wife and dear friend, Beth Carroll Hunley, who was preparing for an upcoming surgery, by picking up some items she needed and taking her dinner.

Mr. Hunley also is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Leslie Hunley Sholly and John Sholly, Elizabeth “Betsy” Hunley Rueff and Andrew Rueff, and Anne Hunley Trisler; his stepdaughters, Kelly (J.W.) Hudson and Penny (John) Johnson; his grandchildren, Emily, Jake, Theo, William, and Lorelei Sholly, Anna and Benjamin Rueff, Zachary, Ella, and Leo Trisler, Hailey Hudson, and Mason and Eli Johnson; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Hunley was celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville on April 10, with Father Jim Haley, CSP,  serving as the celebrant. Interment was to be at Lynnhurst Cemetery.

Donations in Mr. Hunley’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.