First 'First Husband,' Farmer, Beloved Father

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Charles T. "Chuck" Hunt III died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in hospice care for end-stage renal disease at his farm on Henderson Road, surrounded by his wife, former Gov. Jane Swift, and his three daughters. He was 67 and had been born with Alport syndrome, a kidney disease that was the cause of his death after a courageous battle with the lifelong disease.

Chuck was a decorated high school athlete in Williamstown, excelling in football and baseball. He was a favorite of longtime Mount Greylock Regional School football coach John Allen, who tapped Chuck to fill in for him during a sabbatical in 1989 as the interim athletic director and as a baseball and football coach that year. His love of sports continued throughout his life. He was an avid Boston sports fan and would rarely be seen without his Red Sox cap. He shared that passion for sports with Jane and the girls, and there was always a ball game on their television when you visited their house, which was full of love and laughter.

He worked as a heavy equipment operator, becoming a member of the California Rock, Sand & Gravel Union of Operating Engineers early in his career. He was the plant manager for Chandler's Rock, Sand & Gravel in California, where he attended college while working full time, earning a degree from California Polytechnic University at Pomona. He was also a privately licensed pilot who loved flying in California and the South, particularly with his son, Brian.

Chuck's lifelong passion, however, was farming. He worked on his parents' dairy farm throughout his childhood. As a young adult, he worked with several local dairy farms and brought four heifers to Cobble Hill early during the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to re-establish a small dairy operation on the farm. His love for coaching and farming resulted in the building and operation of a riding program that he established on the farm and ran for several years. He loved working on the farm and was clearly at peace on his tractor, working the land, or ensuring the drainage on his driveway was perfect (it is).

The only thing he loved more than the farm were Jane and his girls. Chuck and Jane were married in 1994 after meeting over their shared commitment to saving Massachusetts' dairy industry. A private person, Chuck found himself in a very public role when his wife, who had been elected lieutenant governor in 1998, moved into the governor's office in 2001, after then-Gov. Paul Cellucci was appointed U.S. ambassador to Canada. He was the state's best-known stay-at-home father during those years, a role he relished. He dedicated himself and his time wholeheartedly to raising his daughters. He was a full-time dad, and he was great at it. He handled the criticism, lack of respect for stay-at-home fathers, and mean-spirited press with dignity and grace during that period of his life.

He was always ready to lend a helping hand to a family member or friend who needed it. He was quiet but had a great sense of humor, and you knew he was ready to offer a quiet one-liner when he flashed his wry smile.

Chuck was immensely grateful to the many doctors, nurses, EMTs and caregivers at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, the North Adams ER, and Berkshire Medical Center. They cared for him and put up with Jane over many years. In particular, Drs. Alicia Cunnigham, Carlos Marroquin, Leonardo Riella, Camille Kotton and Henry Rose, and his visiting nurse, Celeste. He was a favored patient in the ER, and in each hospital, where he stayed far more often than he desired. He was unfailingly polite and patient even under extreme duress.

In addition to his wife, Chuck leaves their three daughters, Elizabeth, Lauren, and Sarah, all of Williamstown. Chuck also leaves two sisters, Sharon Wetteland and Diane Hunt, both of Georgia; his mother-in-law, Jean Swift; his brothers-in-law, John Swift and Robert Swift; his sister-in-law, Johanna Swift; and two much-loved cousins, Clifford Godfrey and James Godfrey, as well as nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Chuck's son from a previous marriage, Brian, died in 2014. His beloved sister, Dolores Kornn, and her husband, Ralph, died earlier this year.

FUNERAL NOTICE: The family will hold calling hours from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday at Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home, West Chapels, in North Adams. A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick's Church in Williamstown. Chuck requested donations be made to the WonderFund and the family will announce an event to be held in Boston early in the new year with the charity. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.