Dr. Samuel "Sam" Joseph Hunter

Samuel Joseph Hunter, “Sam,” beloved husband of the late Ilda Cecile Lindley Hunter, died on Thursday, May 1, 2025. A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 605 Reynolds Street, Augusta, Georgia, with the Rev. Eric Biddy officiating, on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 2PM in the Chapel.

Born on September 19, 1929, Sam was the son of J. Stanley Hunter and Ada Dorothy Heffner Hunter of Frostburg, Maryland, the youngest of three brothers who all became physicians. A graduate of Beall High School, Frostburg, Maryland, he earned a BA degree from Johns Hopkins University (Biology, Phi Beta Kappa) in 1951, and an MD degree from Yale University School of Medicine in 1954. Dr. Hunter married Ilda Cecile Lindley in 1954; the couple were married for seventy years.

Dr. Hunter received an Internal Medicine Fellowship at Mayo Clinic and interned at Wayne County General Hospital in Detroit. From 1956 through 1957 he served as Captain in the U.S. Medical Corp at Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. He then went on to practice at the United Mine Workers Welfare and Retirement Fund Clinic in Bellaire, Ohio between 1958 and 1962. Subsequently he and his wife relocated to Amherst, Massachusetts where they raised their five children and Dr. Hunter ran a private family practice in internal medicine for nearly thirty years. In 1992 the Hunters relocated to Augusta, Georgia, where Dr. Hunter worked in Outpatient Medicine at the Downtown Veterans Administration Medical Center for over ten years as Staff Physician.

Throughout his life, Sam had a passion for music and was an accomplished pianist and organist. At a young age, he discovered a talent for playing the piano by ear, which became a lifelong passion. Sam became a master of the American songbook with a repertoire that included more than 400 songs, including musicals and favorites, from the 40’s to contemporary. A belief in the Healing Power of Music motivated him. From 2006-2009 he was President of the Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society of Augusta. He shared his love of music and piano performance generously throughout the community—whether as part of intimate musical home concerts, during his time playing at University Hospital (now Piedmont Augusta), or most recently within the Claiborne Westlake community, where he had been a cherished and beloved resident since the fall of 2022. He will be fondly remembered for his thoughtful observations, quick wit, love of books, and deep appreciation for meaningful conversation.

Dr. Hunter is survived by his five children: Christopher Lindley Hunter, (Maja), of Maisons-Laffitte, France and Evans, Georgia; Dr. Timothy John Hunter, (Stephanie), of Evans, Georgia; Matthew Thomas Hunter, (Nanami), of Berlin, Germany; Alice Hunter Vasquez, (Robert), of Everett, Washington; and, Diana Lynn Hunter, (Janine), of Healdsburg, California; his five granddaughters, Melodie Anne Winter, Durham, North Carolina; Lila Irena Hunter, Maisons-Laffitte, France; Emily Marguerite Hunter, York, UK; Julia Lindley Hunter, Hanover, Germany; and Isabel Marie Hunter, Weimar, Germany; four grandsons, Benjamin Christopher Hunter, Calgary Canada; Jacob Christopher Hunter, Maisons-Laffitte, France; James Steven Hunter, Durham, North Carolina; and Nicholas Samuel Hunter, Palo Alto, California; and, four great grandsons and two great granddaughters.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Music Program at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Fine Arts / Music Fund) in Augusta, in honor of Sam’s enduring love for music and fellowship. https://saintpauls.org/giv