Eugene, Oregon -- Donald Harvey Hunt, husband of Dorothy Johnson Hunt (deceased), died in Eugene, Oregon on June 13, 2016 at the age of 96. Dorothy was born in East Blue Hill in 1917, and was a member of the Long Family Kindred, the descendants of the founder of East Blue Hill.

Don was born in Worchester, MA, on June 12, 1920, the oldest son of Pitman Willis Hunt and Alice Ada Dow. He joined the Army as an enlisted man in 1940, was made an officer in 1942, and served in the Army Air Force Weather Service as a Weather Officer Pilot and instructor in meteorology, mustering out with the rank of Major in 1946. There he was one of the first pilots to fly into a hurricane to obtain meteorological data.

He then entered Harvard College, became fluent in Russian, and graduated with a major in Russian Studies in two years. Don then began top secret U.S. government work he never talked about. When the group he managed was merged into the CIA, he chose to move to California to work on the top secret development of the Distant Early Warning defense system (DEW Line).

Don returned to government service in the Washington area, where he received a service award from President Lyndon Johnson. He was involved in special assignments including: recommended preparations to limit earthquake damage in San Francisco, which were implemented before the next major earthquake; evaluation of then dwindling supplies of natural gas, leading to a reversal of historic regulatory policies which inhibited development of reserves; and as science adviser, negotiation of the Ozone Treaty, which has removed the risk we all faced of major increases in exposure to harmful radiation from the sun.

He led the reorganization of the National Weather Service and related services into a new agency, coming up with the name NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Serving as Deputy Administrator until his retirement, he led efforts to improve the prediction of both everyday weather and severe storms. At the end of his career, he led NOAA’s deployment of Doppler Weather Radar, the basis of weather radar today.

After his wife Dorothy’s death in 1994, he married Yvonne Fries of Calgary. They were happily married for more than 15 years, and travelled extensively, ending with a six week grand tour of Europe, and celebrating his 90th birthday in Paris. Tragically, Yvonne died soon thereafter. Don spent the remainder of his life at Cascade Manor in Eugene, Oregon, where he was well known for telling stories of his life and loved by all.

He is survived by his children Clifford, Karen and David, his grandchildren David (Wally), Elizabeth (Ellie), Shirley Chan and Tina Beutler, his great-grandson, Justin Chan, his step children Allan Fries, Jim Fries and Barbara Berry, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at Seaside Cemetery in Blue Hill, Maine, at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, July 23, 2016, but attendees should arrive at least 15 minutes early due to limited parking.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for contributions for the maintenance of Seaside Cemetery, which can be mailed to: Town of Blue Hill, Attn. Jody Murphy, P.O. Box 412, Blue Hill, Maine 04614. Checks should be made payable to: Town of Blue Hill, with the memo line "Upkeep of Seaside Cemetery.”

Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.