Hon. Judith A. Hunter

There are some people’s lives that are best summed up by dates, places, and accomplishments. Others are better told through the memories and legacies they leave behind.

Judy Ann Hunter was the definition of this.

If you knew Judy, you knew that family was the center of everything. She was born June 28, 1954 in Muenster, Texas to Robert and Betty Richey, and grew up in a close-knit family alongside her three brothers - Bobby, Billy “Bubba”, and Johnny. She grew up in the red dirt of Sivells Bend where she attended Sivells Bend Schools before graduating from Gainesville High School in 1972. Those years helped shape the amazing women she became: hardworking, loyal, proud of who she was, and always happiest when surrounded by the ones she loved.

Judy attended North Central Texas College, studying finance and accounting. While she learned many things along the way, the most important was that life was more about the people you build it with rather than what you accomplish.

On May 11, 1973, Judy married Donald Ray Hunter of Gainesville - the love of her life, and as many could tell you, her best friend. From that day forward, Judy and Don began building something that would last more than five decades. Their marriage was filled with hard work, laughter, days that became memories, and a family that would become her greatest accomplishment and blessing.

Their first child, Jason Cody Hunter, arrived in June 1974. Five years later, in May 1979 came their daughter, Cacie Ann Hunter. Then, in September 1987, their family grew once more with the arrival of Whitney Dawn Hunter.

One home. Three Children. And a lifetime of happiness.

Judy knew how to work and loved serving all those around her. In her younger years, she worked for Bomber Bait, where she made some of the coolest fishing lures, until the company was sold in the 1970s. She later worked as a clerk at Chick’s Department Store. But her career would eventually lead her somewhere she could serve the community she loved.

Judy spent 12 years as Assistant Cooke County Treasurer before becoming Cooke County Treasurer, a title she held very proudly for 14 years. For 26 years, she served the people of Cooke County with grace, honesty, dedication, and a genuine desire to help people.

As important as her career was, Judy never measured her life by a job title. The titles that meant the most to her were Mom and Nana.

In 2003, Judy and Don became grandparents for the first time when Jadon Wyatt Hunter was born. In 2006, Madison Elizabeth Rich joined the family, and just 17 days later, Gracie Brooke Hunter arrived. In 2010 came another granddaughter, McKenna Ryan Rich.

With four grandchildren came a whole new collection of stories and memories.

Judy loved being a Nana. She found joy in having a family to fuss over, a full home, and memories to make. She was a homemaker in every sense because she had a way of making the people in it feel like they belonged there. She made people feel welcome. She cared about the little things. She showed love by doing. That was Judy.

She was proud of where she came from. Proud of the family she built. And proud of the people she loved.

For more than 53 years, Judy and Don went through life hand and hand. They built a marriage, raised children, welcomed grandchildren, made a home, worked hard, laughed often, and faced whatever life threw at them. Their love was not simply something Judy had - it was something she built her life around. And that life was full.

On August 16, 2026, Judy’s story on this Earth came to an end, but the story of her life never will.

It lives on in Jason, Jason’s wife, Candice, Cacie, and Whitney.

It lives on in Jadon, Madison, Gracie, and McKenna.

It lives on in her brothers, extended family, and the countless friends and members of the community whose lives she touched. It lives on in the home she loved, the traditions she created, the many stories, and all the little things that are truly cherished in all of our hearts.

Her family will miss her in the big moments and especially in the little ones - the phone calls, hearing her voice, watching the Rangers game, or remembering something she said years ago.

Judy may no longer be here to hold our hands, tell us stories, or gather her family around her, but the love remains forever.

Her life was not ordinary and if Judy had anything to say about it, she would probably tell us not to spend too much time being sad - but to get together, tell a

few stories, laugh a lot, and keep family close. Because that is what she spent her life teaching us.

Love your people. Show up. Work hard. And never take the ordinary moments for granted.

That was Judy’s story. And the story her family will tell for generations to come.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home, Gainesville. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 21, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the funeral home chapel. A committal service will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Gainesville.