Roger Harding Hunt

Roger Harding Hunt, age 88, of Madison, Wisconsin, passed away on September 13, 2024 after a long illness. Roger was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1936, to the late Ralph H. Hunt and the late Iris Lily Hunt (nee Chambers). His father, Ralph, was a member of the US Foreign Service and his mother was a native of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.  Roger attended school in the Washington DC area and lived in Maryland for a brief period. After his parents divorced, Roger moved with his mother to Madison, Wisconsin. Roger attended The University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he graduated in 1958 with a degree in History. He later served in the Army Reserves and was honorably discharged. At various times Roger was employed by Mautz Paints and Oscar Meyer, and later worked as a taxi and food delivery driver, but the study of history remained Roger's abiding passion. As a young man he traveled both in the US and abroad, visiting used and out-of-print bookstores and acquiring what would later become a substantial collection of books, mainly focused on history.  In the late 1990's, Roger and his business partner, Christopher Key, purchased Blake's Books, a Milwaukee used book store. Tired of commuting between the two cities, Roger eventually bought out Key's interest and moved the business to a storefront on west University Ave. in Madison, reopening it under the name Scholar's Haven.  He closed the business a few years later.  In addition to selling books, Roger operated a small publishing business under his own name, specializing in reprinting books of historical interest that were in the public domain, including a book on the early history of Milwaukee. Appreciation is extended to Amy Jordan, Roger's social worker at the Fitchburg Senior Center, and the staff there: to Amanda Hart and the staff at Community Care, and especially the staff at Madison Health and Rehabilitation where Roger spent his final years. A special thank you also goes out to the nurses and social workers at Agrace Hospice and Supportive Care, especially Claire Kolb, for the additional care they provided.