<p>Recent Irrigon graduate Jessica Working signs a memroy wall during a retirement party for long-time science teache Gary Hunt on Friday in Irrigon. Working served as a teachers assistant to Hunt the last two years.</p>

Those who worked with Gary Hunt for the past 30-plus years in the Morrow County School District describe him as a reliable person and a dedicated educator.

Retired teachers and staff, as well as those still working at Irrigon Junior and Senior High School, gathered one last time in Hunts classroom to wish him well. Hunt retired with the conclusion of the school year.

Scrapbooks were made and signs posted wishing him good luck, with space for coworkers and students to share their memories.

Hunt taught in the Morrow County?School District for 31 years out of his 32 years teaching. He spent one year at Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston.

Hunt taught junior high and high school science, math and, for a short time, physical education. He taught in every town in Morrow County, including Ione before it formed its own school district.

Raised in Lexington, Hunt said he didnt really plan on returning to Morrow County, it just kind of happened after he finished his studies at Oregon State University.

 I hadnt even been home for 24 hours and I got a call from Heppner Junior High to come finish the school year, Hunt said. Then I came over to Irrigon the next year.

School District Superintendent Dirk Dirksen has known Hunt those 31 years.

He was a math teacher, then he became a science teacher, Dirksen said. I was really happy he took the science position because I wanted the math job.

Dirksen said he worked side-by-side with Hunt, teaching for three years in Irrigon at the Columbia Junior High School.

I have heard very positive things from students and staff when I was there and presently, Dirksen said. He is an exceptional science teacher, the kids are held to a high standard and learned a lot in his class.

The message, 30-years old, holds true today. Three other teachers in the district have worked longer than Hunt, Dirksen said.

Fellow retiree and substitute teacher Jerry Martin taught with Hunt for 14 years and has occasionally covered Hunts classroom as a substitute. Martin taught social studies and physical education.

It is always a pleasure to teach with Gary, Martin said. I always looked forward to it because we had so much fun. He has a good sense of humor and I think thats why the kids liked him.

One example of Hunts sense of humor is a fabric turkey holding a Happy Thanksgiving sign. Paper-clipped to the birds wing is a folded paper labeled Turkey Song. A student who pulled the paper found a song inside that the student would sing.

Some students wanted to do it every year, Hunt said.

Hunt plans on spending more time in retirement with his family, golfing, grouse hunting and maintaining his ranch near Heppner that is enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program. He also plans to do some substitute teaching.

Knowing my personality, I wont be sitting still much, Hunt said.

Contact Anna Willard at awillard@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536.