Claire Hunter

April 4, 1957 - November 9, 2023

Known for her love of California wildflowers and birds, graceful Scottish Country Dancing, fierce forehand on the tennis court and unwavering dedication to her family, Claire Hunter, 66, of San Francisco, died peacefully at home after 20 months of living with pancreatic cancer. Claire was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to David and Marjorie Hunter, joining her older brother Nicky and quickly followed by younger sister Adrienne. She attended St. Denis School for Girls before receiving an Arts Degree in French Literature at Aberdeen University.

At 24 years old, she went on holiday to San Francisco, and fell in love with the openness, freedom, nature, and glorious weather in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a passion for equality in children’s access to natural spaces, she initially worked at the Whitney Young Children’s Center. For decades she was a docent at Audubon Canyon Ranch, where she took grade school students from the city on nature walks, exploring and interpreting the local flora and fauna, and newts. She built a warm and loving home, raising three children, with a door and heart that were always open, leaving space for more around the dinner table. She maintained a strong connection to her Scottish heritage, bringing her children back every year without fail to spend quality time with her family and friends. She returned to Edinburgh frequently with her partner Gary, exploring their shared interest in all things Scottish.

Claire was a devoted partner, daughter, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, David and Marjorie Hunter. She is survived by her husband Gary Scott, brother Nicholas Hunter, sister Adrienne Hunter (Nick), son Andrew Chow (Rachel), daughters Sophie Chow (Kevin) and Isabelle Chow (Noah), granddaughters Naia Arranchado-Chow and Vesper Chow, niece Roberta Phillips, and nephews Joel Phillips and William Snelling. She will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. A celebration of life will be held at Noe Valley Ministry on December 4th at 2pm in her honor.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that anyone wishing to make contributions in her honor consider the UCSF Pancreatic Cancer Program, UC Davis Pancreatic Cancer Research, or Audubon Canyon Ranch.