Maureen Dugan Hunter

Maureen Dugan Hunter, 89, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a life defined by faith, family, friendship, and kindness.

Born on January 30, 1937, in Syracuse, New York, Maureen spent her high school years in Mamaroneck, New York, where fate introduced her to the boy next door, Francis Robert Hunter, Jr. The two married in 1959 and shared more than six decades of love, laughter, and partnership until Frank’s passing in May 2021.

Together, Maureen and Frank built a beautiful life centered on faith and family. Together, they built a home filled with love, laughter, lifelong friendships, and traditions that continue to bring their family together today.  They raised four children—Maureen “Mimi” Higgins, Francis Robert “Bob” Hunter III, James “Jim” Hunter, and Lynne Hunter—with unconditional love, steady guidance, and endless encouragement. Nothing brought Maureen greater joy than seeing her family grow. She treasured her role as “Mom-Mom” to her seven grandchildren and delighted in becoming a great-grandmother to Riley Ornes and Eleanor Leve. She eagerly anticipated welcoming another great-grandchild later this summer. She also shared a special bond with her seven nieces and nephews and celebrated each of their lives with the same love and pride she showed her own family.

Education was both Maureen’s passion and her profession. After earning her master’s degree in education, she dedicated more than 20 years to Baltimore County Public Schools, where she taught elementary and middle school students. Her warmth, compassion, and gentle spirit left a lasting impression on countless students and colleagues throughout her career.

Family was the center of Maureen’s world. Even while working full-time as a teacher, she somehow made it seem effortless to put a home-cooked meal on the table every evening. Caring for her family was never an obligation—it was one of the many ways she showed her love. Sunday dinners became a cherished tradition, and she lovingly hosted holiday celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and St. Patrick’s Day. Her Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing, corned beef and cabbage honoring her Irish heritage, and her beloved potato leek soup became family favorites that continue to be made today. Every birthday was celebrated with a homemade cake baked with love by Mom, a tradition that continues with what the family affectionately calls “Mom-Mom cake.” Through these simple but meaningful traditions, she taught her family that love is often expressed through time spent together and caring for one another.

Maureen embraced life with gratitude and joy. She loved spending time on the golf course with Frank, her family, and her many friends. Whether at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, Maryland, or Sea Trail in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, golf provided not only recreation but also treasured memories and lifelong friendships. One of her proudest golfing memories was making a hole-in-one, a story she enjoyed sharing with family and friends.

She also cherished a close-knit circle of lifelong friends, her “bridge group”, who first came together while raising their young families. Through the decades, they celebrated life’s happiest moments, supported one another through its greatest challenges, and remained an enduring source of friendship and love. Their children grew up together, vacationed together, and remain friends—a testament to the remarkable bonds they shared.

Those who knew Maureen will remember her warm smile, kind heart, gentle spirit, and genuine interest in everyone she met.  A woman of deep Catholic faith, Maureen lived her beliefs through quiet acts of service, compassion, and generosity. She was the person everyone could count on—the one who cared for others without expecting anything in return.

Maureen was preceded in death by her beloved husband of more than 60 years, Francis Robert Hunter, Jr.; her son, Francis Robert “Bob” Hunter III; and her brothers, Harold “Harry” Dugan, Jr and Robert D “Pat” Dugan, Sr.

She is lovingly survived by her children, Maureen “Mimi” Higgins (Doug), James “Jim” Hunter (Amy), and Lynne Hunter; her daughter-in-law, Christie Hunter; her seven cherished grandchildren, Patrick Hunter (Sean), Megan Ornes (Andrew), Sarah Leve (Seth), Elizabeth Myers (Clay), Robert Hunter (Sarah), Colleen Vickers (Collin), and Sean Higgins (Juliette); her treasured great-grandchildren, Riley Ornes and Eleanor Leve, with Baby Vickers expected later this summer; her seven beloved nieces and nephews and their families; and many dear friends whose lives were enriched by her kindness and friendship.

Although her family will miss her deeply, they find comfort in carrying forward the traditions she created, the values she lived by, and the love she so generously shared. Every holiday meal, every slice of Mom-Mom cake, and every gathering around the family table will forever be a reminder of Maureen and the extraordinary woman she was. Her legacy of kindness, faith, and love will live on for generations.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Maureen's honor to the Bob Hunter Memorial Foundation, at 3608 Platte Court, Ellicott City, MD, 21042 or Venmo: @BobHunter-Foundation.

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