1919
William
2008
William Grayson (Bill) Hunt
April 19, 1919 — February 19, 2008
Dateline: Sunset Beach
W. G. "Bill" Hunt died February 19, 2008 at New Hanover Medical Center in Wilmington, NC surrounded by his family after a brief illness. A private memorial service will be held later.
As a young man he learned to fly and later built and flew his own airplane. During the war he was employed by the Army Air Corps as a flight instructor. After the war he was a salesman for Grumman Aircraft Corporation and sold airplanes up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
He married Mary Whaley Phillips in 1947 they settled in Atlanta and he worked in the printing business. In 1952 he moved his family to Laurinburg, NC and was the General Manager of the Cottonland Hotel. He was later founder and president of W. G. Hunt and Company.
In 1954 he invented and manufactured the first practical semi-automatic tipping and collating machine, the Magic Tip that produced snap out carbon business forms. These machines were sold all over the country and throughout the world. In 1962 he was honored with the first Presidential "E" Award for outstanding contributions to the Export Expansion Program presented by Senator B. Everett Jordan at a ceremony in the Senate.
During this period he produced many other inventions. His second invention of major importance was the Mister Magic in 1965. It was originally produced to lubricate chain drives for the milling industry but evolved into a device that sprayed air freshener at designated adjustable intervals. The competition at the time required special aerosol cans of air freshener that would only fit their devices. The Mister Magic would accept any off the shelf air freshener as well as all of the proprietary products produced by the competition. His device was unique and versatile, as were all of his inventions, which filled a specific niche and were better than previous designs. Altogether he had 32 domestic and international patents.
He was divorced from his first wife and married Minnie Kelly in 1982, they settled at Sunset Beach and Hillsborough NC. He was involved in conservation efforts including the protection of wildlife including birds and the sea turtle habitat at Sunset Beach and Bird Island.
William Grayson Hunt was born in Columbia, SC April 17, 1919 to Minnie Azalea Alley nee and William Chandler Hunt. He spent his early years in Ashville, NC and his family later moved to Atlanta, Ga. He graduated from Grace High School in Ashville and attended Georgia Tech.
He had a brother and five sisters, none of whom survive. With his first wife he had four children. He is survived by his wife Minnie Kelly Hunt, his former wife, Whaley Brenner, his children, Johnny Hunt of New York, NY, Grayson Hunt of Pinehurst, Bess Ledford of Lexington, KY and Helen Hunt of Laurinburg, five grandchildren, Monroe Henson, Elizabeth and Frances Monroe, Alice Ledford and Ashley Hunt and two great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at McDougald Funeral Home and Crematorium in Laurinburg.
Read William Hunt's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
W. G. "Bill" Hunt died February 19, 2008 at New Hanover Medical Center in Wilmington, NC surrounded by his family after a brief illness. A private memorial service will be held later.
As a young man he learned to fly and later built and flew his own airplane. During the war he was employed by the Army Air Corps as a flight instructor. After the war he was a salesman for Grumman Aircraft Corporation and sold airplanes up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
He married Mary Whaley Phillips in 1947 they settled in Atlanta and he worked in the printing business. In 1952 he moved his family to Laurinburg, NC and was the General Manager of the Cottonland Hotel. He was later founder and president of W. G. Hunt and Company.
In 1954 he invented and manufactured the first practical semi-automatic tipping and collating machine, the Magic Tip that produced snap out carbon business forms. These machines were sold all over the country and throughout the world. In 1962 he was honored with the first Presidential "E" Award for outstanding contributions to the Export Expansion Program presented by Senator B. Everett Jordan at a ceremony in the Senate.
During this period he produced many other inventions. His second invention of major importance was the Mister Magic in 1965. It was originally produced to lubricate chain drives for the milling industry but evolved into a device that sprayed air freshener at designated adjustable intervals. The competition at the time required special aerosol cans of air freshener that would only fit their devices. The Mister Magic would accept any off the shelf air freshener as well as all of the proprietary products produced by the competition. His device was unique and versatile, as were all of his inventions, which filled a specific niche and were better than previous designs. Altogether he had 32 domestic and international patents.
He was divorced from his first wife and married Minnie Kelly in 1982, they settled at Sunset Beach and Hillsborough NC. He was involved in conservation efforts including the protection of wildlife including birds and the sea turtle habitat at Sunset Beach and Bird Island.
William Grayson Hunt was born in Columbia, SC April 17, 1919 to Minnie Azalea Alley nee and William Chandler Hunt. He spent his early years in Ashville, NC and his family later moved to Atlanta, Ga. He graduated from Grace High School in Ashville and attended Georgia Tech.
He had a brother and five sisters, none of whom survive. With his first wife he had four children. He is survived by his wife Minnie Kelly Hunt, his former wife, Whaley Brenner, his children, Johnny Hunt of New York, NY, Grayson Hunt of Pinehurst, Bess Ledford of Lexington, KY and Helen Hunt of Laurinburg, five grandchildren, Monroe Henson, Elizabeth and Frances Monroe, Alice Ledford and Ashley Hunt and two great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at McDougald Funeral Home and Crematorium in Laurinburg.
Read William Hunt's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
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