B. D. “BUD” HUNTER
B. D. “Bud” Hunter was born on February 28, 1930, raised in Wilson Town, Missouri, near Kirksville, and attended high school in Brashear, MO. The first job he held was working for the Jack Sprat grocery store where he delivered groceries in a 1929 Chrysler.
After graduating from high school, Hunter went on to attend college at Truman State University. In spite of working 48 hours per week he received his degree after only two years and nine months and graduated in 1950. Bud entered the Officer Candidate School for Air Force training and became a Captain. He served his tour of duty during the Korean conflict, and was later honorably discharged. Hunter moved to Springfield, Illinois and worked for the S.P. Wright Advertising Co. that provided advertising and consulting to the funeral industry. Bud purchased the company and expanded the scope of the business on an international scale. In the late 1960s, Hunter founded Amedco Inc. The company manufactured burial supplies for funeral homes, made wheelchairs and other medical devices, and eventually expanded into the steel business to later become the second largest manufacturer of burial caskets in the world.
In 1986, Amedco merged with Service Corporation International (SCI), the world’s largest owner and operator of funeral homes and cemeteries. As part of this merger, Hunter, through one of his companies, Huntco Inc., purchased the steel processing and healthcare equipment operations of Amedco. Hunter served as Vice Chairman on the board of directors of SCI (NYSE), and also as a founding board member of Cash America International (NYSE) and Mark Twain Bank of St. Louis. He also served as a trustee of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, was a member of the board of regents of Harris Manchester College of the University of Oxford, and was on the Advisory Board Committee of both the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange.
Bud loved America and he called it the land of opportunity. Over the years he continued chasing the next deal by buying and selling businesses. Up until his final moments, Bud never missed a chance to talk about another business opportunity. He truly cherished his time at his Circle Bar Eight Horse Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
He is survived by 5 children, Bruce Hunter, Beverly Boys, Brett Hunter from Rochester, IL; Brenda Hunter from Springfield, IL & Mary Kay Lammers from St. Louis, MO; as well as 7 grandchildren and 5 greatgrandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at eleven o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 24th of May 2017, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
Immediately following, all are invited to share remembrances of Bud during a reception to be held in the adjacent grand foyer.
Online condolences may be made at www.geohlewis.com under the obituary section.