SCARBOROUGH – Ira Hull Huntley, 96, husband of Charlotte Leighton Huntley, died Sept. 8, 2012, at his home at Piper Shores, Scarborough. He was born May 28, 1916, at his family’s home in Jonesport, son of Mary Sabra (Kelley) and Alonzo Freeman Huntley.
He graduated from Jonesport High School, class of 1933. On April 5, 1942, he married Charlotte Louise Leighton, daughter of Viola Maude (Beal) and Lester Howard Leighton, in a Easter sunrise wedding ceremony at Blue Hill Congregational Church. He was employed in South Portland at New England Shipbuilding Corp., building the Liberty ships that provided relief supplies for Britain. In 1944, Ira joined the U.S. Navy and served as a radioman on the minesweeper, USS Pirate AM 275, assigned to the Pacific Fleet. After returning from World War II, Ira graduated from Coyne Electrical Institute, Chicago and was employed as an electrician for United Elastic Corp., Easthampton, Mass., until 1948, when the family returned to Jonesport. He worked in the Jonesport fishing industry until 1955, when he graduated from National Radio Institute and opened the Huntley Radio and Television Shop. As a member of Jonesport Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church, Ira served as Sunday school teacher, deacon, treasurer and member of the choir. He was a Boy Scout leader, trombone player in the Jonesport Town Band, and member of Knights of Pythias Lodge and American Legion. In 1959, the family moved to Orono, where Ira ran the public address systems at University of Maine, Orono. In 1965, still at UMO, he began his beloved career as an audio engineer at Maine Public Broadcasting Network. He remained at MPBN until his retirement in 1981. Ira’s kind and gentle spirit and appreciation of life’s “simple gifts” will be missed by all who knew him. He loved to spend time with his family at their summer home in Jonesport where he indulged his passion for mowing the grass with his John Deere tractor. He was a happy man if he could play his baritone horn and entice his grandchildren to sing along.
He is survived by his two children, Lawrence Ira Huntley and wife, Roberta Agnes Huntley, of Scarborough, and Beverly Louise (Huntley) Choate and husband, Thomas G. A. Choate, of Houston, Texas, and Jonesport; six grandchildren, T. Aaron H. Choate, Christopher Choate, Daniel Winship, Laurie (Winship) Robert, Jennifer Huntley and Katherine (Winship) Doucette; and five great-grandchildren, Dylan and Danielle Winship, Lila and Ali Doucette, Ayla and Ethan Robert, and Emily Catherine Choate; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Charlotte.
A memorial reception will be held 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at Piper Shores, 15 Piper Road, Scarborough. A family graveside service will be held in Jonesport at a later date. Donations in Ira’s memory may be made to Jonesport Historical Society, P.O. Box 603, Jonesport, ME 04649. The Historical Society was dear to Ira’s heart since it is raising the funds necessary to renovate two galleries dedicated to preserving Jonesport’s rich maritime heritage.
Ira Hull Huntley
