Hilton Walter Hunter, 78, of Pinehurst, died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, at UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill.

A memorial service will be held at Boles Funeral Home in Pinehurst at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15.

Mr. Hunter was born Dec. 9, 1928, in Ann Arbor, Mich., to the late Ralph and Harriet Towsley Hunter. He graduated from Culver Military Academy, earned a bachelor's degree in business from Michigan State University and a master's degree in Meteorology at the Naval Post-Graduate School at Monterey, Calif.

Mr. Hunter spent the first part of his career with Dow Chemical (1956-1964) and then moved to IBM, where he was an account executive (1964-1986). He also served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

He and his wife, Katie, moved to Pinehurst in May of 1987. While in Pinehurst, he was a member of the Tin Whistles, president of the Pinehurst Lake Association, a member of the sailing Yacht Club, and a volunteer at St. Joseph of the Pines.

Mr. Hunter is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kathleen "Katie" Hunter; his son, Hilton W. Hunter II of Torch Lake, Mich.; his daughters, Nancy Champion of Ottawa Hills, Ohio, Susan Youngren and her husband, Mark of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Margaret Hunter Dunlop and her husband, Michael, of Glide, Ore.; his sister, Jean Voelcker of Ithaca, N.Y., and seven grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Joseph of the Pines, 100 Waters Drive, Southern Pines, NC 28387 or the American Cancer Society, 8300 Health Park, Suite 10, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Boles Funeral Home of Pinehurst is serving the family.