The southern Illinois region lost a good man last week. Long time news and sports reporter Bryan Hunt passed away after a very courageous battle with cancer. My history in knowing Bryan spanned almost three decades – from the practice and game fields as a football coach for Central High School, where Bryan was always present with his giant camera and pole mount and boonie hat, to my time as a probation officer in the courtrooms of the Clinton and Marion County courthouses, where Bryan also covered the courthouse and judicial activities, to the many activities and newsworthy events of Kaskaskia College, where Bryan was a consistent presence at Board meetings, special events and community engagement activities.
    If there was an important event, Bryan was there, and we could always count on his reporting to be top notch.
    In my years of knowing Bryan, I never witnessed him anxious or nervous. He presented himself with a calm demeanor and a non-threatening posture. He was a class act. Often you would see Bryan in the background of the above-mentioned environments, not drawing attention to himself, but ensuring he was collecting information factually and attentively and taking his time to get “just the write picture.”
    Bryan was a model reporter, representing the newspapers he worked for with a professional, non-biased approach, while also crafting his articles with the appropriate adjectives and verbs to keep the reader interested. You could always count on an article written by Bryan Hunt to be honest, straightforward, and interesting.
    His style and demeanor should be modeled for future writers. He was an exceptional writer and was one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met. We shared a passion for WWII aircraft, and he was one of the few that would light up when I would begin to ramble about the toughness of the B-17 bomber or the contributions the P-40 Warhawk made during the early days of the Pacific theater in World War II.
    Current and future journalists should take note, as it is the Bryan Hunt’s of the world who have kept us all informed, often at great sacrifice to themselves. The world needs more people like him now more than ever.
    Lastly, despite Bryan’s passion for providing the news and photos with a professional zeal, his love of his family and enjoyment of his son Noah was readily evident anytime the family was mentioned in conversation. When asked about how his son was doing, he would respond in that low baritone voice with a smile and a detailed description of Noah’s latest cross-country escapade.
    He was a “good guy,” and I will miss our conversations deeply, and I hope that his family understands how many people and organizations were impacted by his written word or submitted photo. Godspeed Bryan! Give Walter Conkrite our best.
   George Evans
    Kaskaskia College