Clyde E Hunt Sr

Clyde Edward Hunt, of Alliance, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023 and is greatly missed by his loving family. Born July 27, 1937 to Clyde William and Daisy Marguerite (nee: Warner) Hunt in Alliance, Ohio, he enjoyed a lifelong career as trumpeter, teacher, composer, and arranger.

He began playing trumpet at the age of five and joined the musicians’ union at age 11 to become the youngest member of the Alliance City Band. He made the All Ohio Boys Band, graduated from Alliance HS in 1955, and attended Kent State University where he earned his B.S. in Music Ed and M.F.A. in Trumpet Performance and Composition. As a freshman at age 18, he earned an extra seat in the Akron Symphony Orchestra, later performing with the Akron Symphony Brass Quintet, Akron Civic Orchestra, and Akron Goodyear Theater.

Clyde taught Instrumental Music for over 30 years, completing his student teaching assignment at St. Peter Chanel High School in Bedford before moving to Maryland for a teaching position with Montgomery County Public Schools. He taught Music Theory, Orchestra, Marching Band, Concert Band, and the Arctic Blues jazz ensemble at Robert E. Peary High School in Rockville, MD from 1967 until the school closed, then taught instrumental music at elementary schools throughout Montgomery County until his retirement in 1997. After retiring, he moved to Colonial Beach, Virginia. He soon learned there wasn’t an instrumental music program at the public school, so he solicited donations of used instruments for use by the students and provided free music lessons after school.

Clyde was also an accomplished soloist and composer of classical, sacred, and jazz music. He founded B-Flat Music production in 1994, publishing trumpet method books, original compositions, and recordings of his performances. A large collection was donated to Rodman Public Library in Alliance. He especially enjoyed touring the European jazz festival circuits with Brooks Tegler’s Hot Jazz band, playing for church services, being in the Steve Jordan Trio, and local gigs with his friend Billy Hancock and the No Neck Jazz Band. Playing “Taps” for observances of Memorial Day in Colonial Beach was his honor until moving back home to Ely Street in Alliance in 2017.

He is survived by his first wife, Patricia Becker Hunt of Rockville, MD and their children Clyde (Susan) Hunt Jr. of Woodbine, MD; David Hunt and Jon (Barb) Hunt of Alliance; Elizabeth (Peter) Vanderham of Germantown, MD; his second wife, Rebecca Anderson Hunt of Colonial Beach, VA and their daughter Hannah Hunt of Louisville, KY; uncle “big brother” Lorin (Gloria) Warner of La Mirada, CA; aunt Isabelle Ahlstrom of Marysville, OH; nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, sister Delsia Gay Tindell, and great grandchild Kya Barkowski.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place in July in Alliance. In lieu of flowers, please made a donation to a public school instrumental music program of your choice.