Hundreds Gather for J.B. Hunt Funeral

Last updated Monday, December 11, 2006 8:01 PM CST in News

By Kim Souza
The Morning News

A large portrait of Hunt and his trademark Stetson flanked the sides of the closed coffin, which was adorned with fresh pine and cedar cuttings.

After the funeral, Floyd announced the family will temporarily use a local mausoleum until a permanent cemetery site can be developed in the Pinnacle Hills region by the Hunt family. Floyd said that Johnelle Hunt, Hunt's wife of 54 years, plans to oversee the project after the first of the year.

Hunt's personal friends Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, members of the pop group Fifth Dimension, sang "Amazing Grace" in a special tribute to the Hunt family.

Family friend Thomas "Mack" McLarty III, former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff, shared personal stories about Hunt and his "giant-size heart" and a recent opportunity he had to introduce Hunt to a visiting Chinese ambassador.

"I was a little a nervous about the meeting, knowing the reserved nature of Chinese culture, but needless to say, Johnnie found a way to break down the barriers of culture and language and make the ambassador feel right at home. No one was a stranger for long when Johnnie was in the room," McLarty said.

The ambassador called to give his condolences when he heard the news of Johnnie's death, McLarty said.

The congregation watched a video filmed a few months ago and edited recently by Zach Kennedy of the Church at Pinnacle Hills.

In it Hunt discussed his successes and his own mortality.

Hunt's charismatic humor was evident throughout. He joked that he quit school at age 10, but should have left at 8 to get an earlier start.

He saw himself as a good partner, who got a real life education from the people he loved.

Hunt's own comments in the video regarding his wealth and the quintessential rags-to-riches story: "A lot of people think we have gotten rich; we may have financially, but we never did know it."

Hunt saw himself as an optimist who said he was probably guilty of having too much trust, a trait that lawyers often warned him to lose. "I wouldn't want to give that up; trust is everything," Hunt said.

Hunt professed he wasn't a big reader of books except for one, "There is only one book I read, it's about 15 times now," Hunt said, referring to the Bible.

"I'm a dreamer, I am a Joseph," Hunt said.

Hunt discussed his own mortality with confidence: "I am not afraid to die, it's no big deal."

Hunt is said to have had the ability to sit down and talk easily with both billionaires and waitresses.

The diversity of people attending the memorial was a tribute to the vast number of people touched by Hunt's life.

"He was a people magnet," Floyd said.

Floyd spoke of Hunt as a dear friend and father figure who was today enjoying his rewards in heaven.

Hunt's humor was seen as the perfect medicine by Floyd, who quipped that he often wanted to employ Hunt as the Minister of Laughter, but he couldn't afford him.

Floyd, quoting Genesis, said Hunt's identification with Joseph had merit. He said both were successful, God-fearing men, and each "walked in the court with powerful men."

Floyd said all the riches and success that Hunt enjoyed in his life did not make the man.

"It's the way he loved people, that will be his legacy," Floyd said.

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