Apr. 20, 1926 - May 21, 2025
Date of Service: May 31, 2025
Service Program
BURLEY – Leland Charles “Chuck” Hunter passed away Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the age of 99, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
He was born April 20, 1926, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Clarence Bingham Hunter and Rachel Cecelia Beckstrand. He was the third of six children but said he was an only child due to the age difference between him and his older and younger siblings. He learned to work at an early age, helping his father in selling health and hardware products, selling cars, and running a fish hatchery in Swan Valley.
After high school, he joined the Navy just before the end of World War II. His unit visited Okinawa, the Philippines, and China during his service where he drove a landing craft to transport the troops from the ship to land. He enjoyed his time in the Navy and said it was like a paid vacation, what an adventure. Upon his discharge from the service, he returned home and enrolled at Ricks College, where he obtained his teaching certificate. While in Rexburg he met Shirley Archer, and they were married August 8, 1948. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Logan Utah Temple. They moved back to Idaho Falls where he worked as a bell hop along with other jobs. Due to his poor spelling ability, he decided against a teaching career, so with his father’s help he started selling insurance. When an agency became available in Burley, they moved there in 1952, and started Hunter Realty and Insurance Agency. Along with the insurance business he also earned his real estate license and sold homes and farms. He and Shirley worked together at the office for more than 40 years and stayed active in these pursuits until his retirement.
He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in several callings, especially in the Boy Scouts. Chuck and Shirley always enjoyed the outdoors and loved fishing, hunting, and camping. Every weekend they would load up with the family and away they would go. He was an excellent fly fisherman and loved to hunt big game and birds. He was always busy and loved to garden, listen to music, rafting, and play duplicate bridge where he was a life master. He was active until the end, caring for Alan’s yard and even riding his e-bike to deliver the insurance agency’s mail at the age of 99.
Chuck is survived by his two sons, Charles “Alan” (Jeanne) of Burley and Richard of Stuart, Florida; and one daughter, Valene Scipioni (Mike) of Palm Bay, Florida; his grandchildren, Jeremy, Michael, Jason, Carl and Lori; along with ten great-grandchildren, Kole, Garrett, Megan, Karson, Paige, Carter, Nathan, Daniel, Colin and Patrick. He is also survived by one sister, Gloria Jones; and one brother, Edward Hunter.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Shirley; and siblings, Mable Hinckley, Walter Hunter and David Hunter.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, where family and friends will be received from 10 until 10:45 a.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at Gem Memorial Gardens with military honors performed by the Mini-Cassia Veterans Group.
