W L Hunter Jr

William Lesley "W. L." Hunter, Jr., 87, greeter, hand holder, and post-op instructor for Dr. William L. Hunter, DDS, died Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at his residence on Pillow Due Lane. A Celebration of the Life of Mr. Hunter will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. Saturday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Rev. Wayne Gullet will officiate with a time for friends and family to share memories. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Friday from 5:00 - 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Memorial & Honor Program, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the charity of your choice. Friends may contact the family at the home of Bill & Carolyn Hunter. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. A native of Blaine, Mississippi, he was the son of the late William Lesley Hunter, Sr. and Charlotte Easterwood Hunter. He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He was married to Cleo Salley Hunter who preceded him in death on November 15, 2002. Mr. Hunter was a graduate of Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Mississippi, where he farmed before moving to Columbia in 1984. For the past twenty-two years, he has been affectionately known as "Pop" in Dr. Hunter's dental office. Mr. Hunter was a member of West End Baptist Church. Survivors include one son, Dr. William (Carolyn) Hunter, III of Columbia; two daughters, Clista (Ray) Haley of Greenville, Mississippi; Diane (Craig) Poundstone of Chico, California; eighteen grandchildren, William Lesley "Les" Hunter, IV, Tracey Hunter, Tara Brown, David Eastland, Leslie Haley, Todd Eastland, Lauren Cross, Brian Ratliff, Camille Cluff, Carl Poundstone, Angie Poundstone, Lee Haley, Kyle Haley, Neil Haley, Darrel Haley, Hunter Eastland, Robbie Eastland, and Angie Eastland; and nine great grandchildren, Holden Marshall, Owen Brown, Elizabeth Eastland, Mitchell Eastland, Ian Eastland, Taylor Haley, Luke Haley, William Cross, and Austin Cross. He was preceded in death by a great grandchild, Kayla Brown. Pallbearers will be David Eastland, Todd Eastland, Neil Haley, G. R. Harden, Les Hunter, Brian Ratliff, Kyle Haley, and Rob Graham. Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. John Maloof, Dr. Cary Pulliam, Craig Poundstone, and Ray Haley.