In the end, his heart belonged to only one

By Stephanie Hayes, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, May 10, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT Charles Howard Hunter

CLEARWATER — Charles Howard Hunter led a life of accomplishment. He was a Navy hero who won many air medals. He was a theater director and a playwright. He was a world traveler.

A line of fascinating women connected his story. Here are a few of his encounters.

A mysterious date: While in the Navy, he met a woman. They sat together on a rooftop in San Francisco, a view of naval ships below. She asked: What kind of ships? What kind of guns? How many men are on them?

Mr. Hunter raised an eyebrow. She was awfully interested in the equipment. Could she be a spy? He got her number.

On their next date, military police hauled her into custody.

Margaret Truman: Mr. Hunter came from a well-connected Missouri family. His cousin, president of a prominent ballet theater, was friends with President Harry Truman.

When the Truman family came home to Missouri, daughter Margaret Truman needed an escort for social events — Mr. Hunter was the lucky man. He escorted her on about five dates, his family said. But did the relationship ever get romantic? He didn't kiss and tell.

Grace Kelly: After the war, he became director of the Barter Theatre in Virginia. He also directed plays at Elitch Theatre in Denver, where he met an aspiring actress named Grace Kelly.

After most performances, they went to an amusement park to ride the roller coasters. The fun ended when she was called to Hollywood to screen test for a film, High Noon. Mr. Hunter saw her off at the train station.

Jacqueline Hunter: She was cautious. He was 16 years older and her director in a play. Plus, he had a reputation as a ladies' man — people called him "Handsome Howard Hunter of Hollywood."

But he persisted until Jacqueline agreed to date him. On their first outing, they saw a wild animal exhibit where the wildest thing was a rooster. She fell in love.

"I found that he was actually rather harmless," she said. "Just fun to talk with and not terribly threatening."

Fifty years ago, they married. They traveled until heart and back problems robbed his mobility.

Mr. Hunter took to sitting in his favorite chair and writing on a pad. He told his wife not to read it until he was gone. He died Saturday in Clearwater, where the couple had retired. He was 87.

She found the note pad. She braced for illicit confessions from his time with other women. But in 5 1/2 pages of writing, she could only find one theme.

That she was the love of his life.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or
(727) 893-8857.