Lubin Walter Michael Hunter Jr. - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

News / Obituaries / Southampton Press / 1451910

Lubin Walter Michael Hunter Jr.

author on May 29, 2018

Lubin Walter Michael Hunter Jr., known as “Tree,” of the Shinnecock Indian Reservation died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital on May 28, 2018. He was 76.

Mr. Hunter was born May 2, 1942, to Lubin Walter Hunter Sr. and Regina Lois Hillburry Hunter in Brooklyn. He attended Catholic school and was baptized Michael, then confirmed as Francis. Mr. Hunter also attended Andrew Jackson High School where he was a 400-meter hurdler, and graduated June 1960.

He spent his summers on the Shinnecock Reservation, where he met and married Eleanor Wanda Hunter on June 23, 1962. The couple had two children, Wanda Hunter of Shinnecock and Michael Naiche Hunter of the Bronx. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 until his honorable discharge in 1967. After leaving military service, he worked as an agent in the advertising industry at Coolidge Company, and 29 years with the New York City Housing Authority as a supervisor.

Later he was a self-employed, and a “starving artist.”

In the 1970s, he became politically vocal for the American Indian movement. He also found time to play on the basketball team for the American Indian community house.

After retirement, he pursued his many interests, including reading, hunting, being a collector, a movie buff, an artist and a lover of music. He continued to pursue his education in traditional native language, culture and loved to powwow.

He is survived by his two children, Wanda Hunter of Shinnecock and Michael Naiche Hunter of the Bronx; two grandchildren, Allan Michael “Hondo” Hunter of Shinnecock and Ian Michael Naiche Reyes of North Carolina; two great-grandchildren, Mackenzie Eleanor Hunter and Delaney Millicent Hunter of Shinnecock; his 101-year-old father, Lubin Walter Hunter Sr.; siblings, Rene Christina Hunter, Wickham John Hunter, and Roberta Octavia Hunter Cuyjet; daughter-in-law Valerie Hunter; granddaughter-in-law Nakita Dawkins-Hunter; in-laws, Glenn Cuyjet, Lynda Hunter, Janet Hunter, Ralph Hunter and Jeff Hunter; nieces and nephews, Jade Lacroix, Eric Phillips, Micah Hunter, Sienna Cuyjet, Sequoyah Cuyjet and Sebastian Cuyjet; god-daughter Lynda M. “Poo” Hunter; companion Pamela Gavrity and lifetime friends, Phillip “The Beat” Brown IV, Edward “The Fox” Terry and Harry Wallace.

A wake was held at the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton with funeral service at the Shinnecock Presbyterian Church.

You May Also Like:

A Brilliant Light

The village was quiet last Thursday on the morning of a beautiful day, the beginning of many more. People were scattered on benches resting and talking; reading The Press, or rising reluctantly to go about mundane errands. I sat savoring the sleepy peaceful morning when I sensed a luminosity rising and surrounding the First Presbyterian Church, almost as if flowers were bursting into bloom out of a sea of blackness. Gathered on the steps of the church and flowing down to the street were masses of young people moving quietly as cars pulled up and more and more people joined ... 12 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Budgeting 101

A simple fact about the SALT deductions is being obscured with Nick Lakota’s statements in the news. If the 2017 tax rules expire, residents will once again be able to deduct 100 percent of their state and local taxes. If all New York representatives vote together, the new budget will fail. “Fighting” for a higher limit is unnecessary. The proposed reconciliation bill cuts taxes and once again has sunset rules for four years hence. This is not creating policy, it is political posturing. We need a long-term, stable tax policy. This is not the way to do it. Overall budgeting ... by Staff Writer

Backroom Deals

Who is Jose Reyes? This question seems, by their reactions, to be the most important matter the Southampton Town Democratic Committee has to deal with. For me, and many voting citizens of Suffolk County who contact me, the question isn’t “Who is Jose Reyes?” but rather what other dark backroom deals are the Suffolk County Democrats and Republicans conspiring on. That is why the public needs people like “Jose Reyes” to come forward and shed some light on these dark deeds. To some people, 53 years ago is ancient history, but it is relevant today to remember “Watergate” and “Deep ... by Staff Writer

Business Briefs, May 15

The Clubhouse Announces Catering Partner for Summer 2025 The Clubhouse in Wainscot has announced an exclusive partnership with premium international hospitality group Rhubarb Hospitality Collection as the preferred catering partner for the upcoming summer season. Events by RHC East expanded to the Hamptons last summer and crafted events with innovative cuisine, elegant food, modern sensibilities and genuine hospitality, according to a press release. Rhubarb Hospitality Collection is a preferred catering partner to several New York venues including the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA. Executive Chef Paul Marrocco has more than two decades of experience ... by Staff Writer

Volunteer Ambulance HQ To Be Dedicated During Open House

The Southampton Volunteer Ambulance will hold an open house and dedication ceremony for its new headquarters on Sunday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The building is located at 1256 North Sea Road in Southampton. The event will include tours of the state-of-art facility and regional EMS training center. Many volunteer members will be on hand, plus there will be opportunities to learn life-saving skills and home emergency preparedness. by Staff Writer

Keeping the Public Trust

By Michael Anthony, Andrea Klausner, George Lynch, Barbara Weber-Floyd The public entrance to The Southampton Press informs visitors that good journalism exists here. The walls are festooned with award plaques signifying a long history of excellence in reporting the news, sharing opinions and otherwise keeping the community well-informed. Sometimes, though, a person of ill will takes advantage of the best, and that brings us all down. On May 8, The Press published “A Note From the Editor” acknowledging that the letter writer calling himself “Jose Reyes,” sometimes from Hampton Bays and sometimes from Southampton, is a fictitious person. After members ... by Michael Anthony, Andrea Klausner, George Lynch, Barbara Weber-Floyd

Jessica A. Poulson Schmitt, Formerly of Hampton Bays, Dies August 5

Jessica A. Poulson Schmitt, formerly of Hampton Bays, died on August 5, 2024. She was ... by Staff Writer

Schools Preparing for New York State 'Bell-to-Bell' Cellphone Ban That Will Take Effect in September

It’s official: When the new school year starts in September, students in New York State’s ... by Cailin Riley

Longtime Pillars of East Quogue Community Retire From Civic Association

Back in the mid-1990s, Anne Algieri was at the forefront of a grassroots campaign in ... 11 May 2025 by Cailin Riley

Express Sessions: The South Fork's Bounty, on Land and at Sea

The latest in the Express Sessions panel discussion series, “ The South Fork’s Bounty, on ... 10 May 2025 by Editorial Board