Martha Reger Hunter

Martha (Marty) Reger Hunter was born in Delta, Colorado January 23, 1947, and was the youngest of 7 children. She was preceded in death by her parents George and Ellen, two brothers Alvah and Jacob and survived by her brothers George, Paul and Russ and sister Mary. Growing up, her family was active in the Nazarene church. She was an avid student leading to being valedictorian of her Delta High School class of 1965. Martha became Marty when her roommate at the University of Northern Colorado said she did not look like a Martha and started calling her Marty. Marty met Duane on her first day at college and they were married in Delta, Colorado September 11, 1966, and last year they celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. Marty graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a teaching degree in Math in 1969. She showed an early interest and ability in computer science, was one of the first computer teachers in Jefferson County and often taught evening classes for other teachers and even the superintendent. She taught computers and math for many years at McLain Community High School before retiring in 2004. Her former colleagues from McLain have remained lifelong friends. Even though she was retired from the teaching profession, Marty remained both a lifelong student and teacher. From 2001 and through retirement, Marty and Duane enjoyed traveling the world together from Machu Pichu to the Matterhorn. Marty would extensively study every country before their trips and would often be more knowledgeable about the history of a region and sites than the tour guides. She also became quite the photographer and would document each trip with beautiful photobooks that she would share with her traveling companions. Marty was always extremely organized, a skill that was put to good use during a quest to be designated with Colorado pioneer status. This pursuit led to her spending countless hours researching and cataloging family history and genealogy, tracing ancestors of the Reger and Hunter clans back to the 1400’s. Along the way, she discovered many interesting facts like how her maternal grandfather, a minister, was a volunteer with the Heifer Project to supply Europe with horses that were lost during World War II. Recently, she began chronicling her childhood memories, including learning to ski at Aspen with the Kennedy’s, gathering dandelion greens for supper, and swimming at the local watering hole. Throughout her adult life Marty stayed active, despite having bad knees, and loved spending time outdoors – hiking, searching for wildlife, biking, and skiing. She developed and maintained close friendships through multiple associations including the Arvada Newcomers bridge group, her children’s swimming and soccer teams, and Focus travel group. Marty’s family was always her most prized possession. Marty and Duane are very proud parents of three sons (Kevin, David and Brian) and are grateful for their daughters-in-law (Lisa, Alicia, and Tina). She was an exceptional mom to her sons and had a special relationship with each of her seven grandchildren (Evan-32, Shea-22, Nicholas-18 Josh-16, Luke-13, Adam-10, and Quinn-6). There was nothing she wanted to do more than spend time with family, especially the grandkids. She loved attending their soccer games, dance recitals, school functions, and sharing her passion for learning by introducing creative writing, arts and crafts, science experiments, and other special experiences with each visit. Marty will be cremated – a memorial service will be scheduled for friends and family to celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made the American Cancer Society (cancer.org).