John Hunter RIP

John Hunter
OP 1958
12 January 1940 – 23 November 2024

With our thanks to John's family and friends

OPs have lost a distinguished public servant and scholar in the passing of John Hunter.

Arriving as a ‘Scholarship Boy’ from Milton Road School he left from the Modern Sixth where he had specialised in Geography. He won the W H Hore Memorial Prize for Geography, and it was on a Geography Summer School that he met Yvonne who was to be his wife for 61 years and with whom he had three sons.

It was at school that he acquired his life-long interests, formally and informally, in military matters and sport, and in classical music. The former began in his keen membership of the CCF RAF section, attending every camp open to him, and matured in later years in his senior positions in the MOD and wider Civil Service, and as a recreational glider pilot. 

Rugby, Hockey, and Cricket were played with enthusiasm, without diminishing his enjoyment as one of the small ‘gang’ of his year participating in, if not organising, attendance at Fratton Park when Pompey home matches coincided with the school whip. This was in the days when spectatorial attendance was required at Hilsea when the PGS First Fifteen was playing an opponent higher in the schools pecking order. Some might say his only sporting lack of judgement was in retaining a Pompey season ticket as long as was practical. A lifelong interest in opera and classical music was nurtured and he remembered with affection in later years singing choral works under the baton of John Davidson, particularly in the Royal Albert Hall. The team sports of earlier years were to be superseded by badminton and walking long distance footpaths.

In 1959 John joined the Admiralty, working firstly in Plymouth before being posted to Sydney in 1963. Early recognition of his qualities came in his being flown back at public expense from Australia to the UK to an interview for the Administrative Class of the Civil Service.

At the end of that posting, following his return to the Admiralty in Bath, he considered his advancement would be furthered were he to obtain a degree. In common, it has subsequently transpired, with several other leavers at that time, his parents had been advised after A levels that he was not university material. Studying part-time in mid-career he demolished the School’s assessment by earning First Class Honours in Economics and Administration at Bath University and later a Masters in Manpower Studies at Birkbeck, University of London.

In 1974 he was seconded from the MOD Navy Department (as the Admiralty had then become) to the Civil Service Department on a project researching how Civil Servants could obtain more satisfaction in their appointments, particularly in the creation of opportunities to bring their personal knowledge and experience to the workplace. This work resulted in the publication of a book: Direct Participation in Action, Pace D and Hunter J, Bournemouth Saxon House, 1978.

His expertise subsequently took him to various Government Departments, during which his membership of the Institute of Personnel Management was advanced to a Fellowship, until his retirement from the Civil Service as MOD Head of Policy and Training in 1997.

Retirement did not bring an end to his public service, which in itself speaks volumes of his contribution to society’s well being. He served on Employment Tribunals and School Appeal Panels. He had been a school governor and a magistrate and continued in the latter role to a total of more than 30 years.

School friendships were retained for 70 years. John was always there with good humour and a twinkle in his eyes – not least in correcting those friends in mistaken references to now obscure aircraft and occasional stories without the Official Secrets Act that would put Yes Minister to shame.