With deep sadness, we share with you the passing of our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, Gillian Mary Hunt, who peacefully left us in the early hours of June 8, 2026.
Gill lived a life defined by kindness, creativity and an enduring love of nature. She had an extraordinary gift for nurturing — whether it was her family, injured wildlife, flourishing gardens, lifelong friendships, or the quiet beauty of the natural world. Those who knew her will remember her gentle spirit, boundless generosity and unwavering belief that every living thing deserved care and compassion.
Gill was born on January 11, 1940, in Singapore to Joan and Wallace Kemp at the beginning of the Second World War. In 1941, she and her mother were evacuated to Australia while her father served in Malaya. They later settled in Devon, England, until Wallace returned home in 1945. Soon afterward, the family returned to Singapore for several years, where Gill’s sister Louisa was born. In 1947 they returned again to England, eventually settling at Church Grounds Farm in South Devon, where Wallace farmed and Gill’s youngest sister, Caroline, was born in 1950.
In 1955, the Kemp family emigrated to Orillia, Ontario. It was there that Gill worked at the local bank, met the love of her life, Carl Hunt, celebrated their beautiful winter wedding, and welcomed their first son, Jim. In 1964, Gill and Carl moved west to Alberta, where Carl began his career as a fisheries biologist in Edmonton. Their children Laurie and Bill were born there before the family moved to Red Deer and, in 1972, the family settled permanently in Edson.
Edson, nestled near the foothills and mountains, became the perfect place for Gill and Carl to raise their family and indulge their love of the outdoors. Gill introduced her children to the wonders of nature through bird watching, butterfly and seashell collections, wildlife photography, ice fishing, gardening and adventures hiking and paddling in the foothills. Spring birdsong and the first wildflowers of the season filled her with genuine joy. Even pet garter snakes became neighbourhood celebrities, culminating in snake races enthusiastically attended by neighbourhood friends.
A gifted artist, Gill explored pottery, pen-and-ink drawing and watercolour painting, always creating beauty with quiet humility. She also devoted herself to caring for abandoned and injured wildlife, including a hawk owl, Canada geese, muskrat, flying squirrel and raven. Those experiences undoubtedly inspired Laurie and Bill to pursue careers in wildlife and conservation biology. Family members still smile at the story of young Gill, who while working at the bank in Guelph, pretended to have morning sickness so she could secretly feed a baby muskrat hidden in her handbag.
With their innovation and creativity, Gill and Carl filled their home with remarkable handmade treasures. Together they crafted sleeping bags filled with hand-plucked down, leather mukluks, wool parkas, knitted mitts, socks, sweaters, quilts, personalised canoe paddles, skating dresses, ski gaiters and much of our clothing. Their resourcefulness and creativity taught their family that love is often expressed through the time and care we invest in one another. One of Gill and Carl’s greatest adventures was building the family’s log cabin in Alberta’s foothills. Over several summers they lived in a tent trailer, cooked over a campfire and slowly built what became the heart of countless family memories. Misty morning paddles, loon song, fishing for pike, campfires, celebrations and lifelong friendships all became woven into the fabric of cabin life. In 2024, Gill and Carl celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary at the cabin, surrounded by their children and grandsons.
Gill embraced adventure throughout her life. She enjoyed Easter backcountry ski trips to Hilda Creek on the Icefields Parkway, earned a provincial medal in canoe racing with the Edson Canoe and Kayak Club, paddled many stretches of the McLeod River and confidently taught her children to swim in its rapids. Having spent much of her childhood travelling between continents, it was trips to visit family that inspired her travelling later in life. Favourite adventures included visiting Bill and his family in Haida Gwaii, travelling to Juneau, Alaska to visit Laurie, family vacations to Miracle Beach, trips back to England to reconnect with family, and memorable cross-country drives to Huntsville in an old baby-blue International Travelall with a plaid roof, 3 kids, and the dog.
Throughout her years in Edson, Gill devoted herself first and foremost to her family while also working in various capacities including a CN bus driver, a denturist’s assistant, a bookkeeper and a classroom helper. Not surprisingly, one of Gill’s most celebrated achievements was as a Granny - championing her grandsons with her loving support, dedicated interest in their daily adventures, and her kind encouragement. She treasured every moment with her grandsons.
Gill is lovingly remembered by her husband of 63 years, Carl Hunt; her daughter Laurie (Dan); her son Bill (Laura); her grandsons Thomas, Jonathan, and Logan; her sisters Lindy (Freddie) and Carol, and their families.
She was predeceased by her beloved son James Hunt; her grandson Andrew Hunt; twin baby girls; and her parents, Joan and Wallace Kemp.
How will Gill be remembered? She found beauty in simple things, welcomed those who needed encouragement, championed the underdog and instinctively cared for people, pets, and wildlife. Through her quiet strength, endless creativity and generous heart, she taught those around her to appreciate nature, cherish family and leave the world gentler than they found it.
Her love lives on in the lives she shaped, the family she cherished and the countless memories she leaves behind. She will be deeply missed and forever held in our hearts.
In lieu of cards and flowers please consider a donation on Gill’s behalf to CNIB, Terry Fox Foundation, or an environmental group of your choice. A Celebration in Memory of Gill will be held in June 2027.
This obituary is published with permission of the family of Gillian Mary (Kemp) Hunt and may not be copied © 2026