Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Esther Hird Hunt

Esther Hird Hunt of Shelter Island passed peacefully at her Shelter Island home on May 4, 2026, just nine days shy of her 103rd birthday. 

Born in Passaic, N.J. on May 13, 1923, she was the daughter of Samuel Ainsworth Hird and Mildred Flower Hird. She was the third generation of her family to call the Village of Dering Harbor home.

Esther’s grandfather, Samuel Hird, built a house in the Village in 1913, and from early childhood she cherished being on Shelter Island. That deep connection would shape the course of her long and vibrant life.

Esther graduated from Vassar College in 1944 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In a spirit of boldness rare for her time, she drove across the country with a friend in a borrowed convertible.

In 1950, she married the late Bridg Hunt of Montclair, N.J. and introduced him to Shelter Island, where they spent decades exploring its waters aboard Esther’s family’s beloved wooden 1926 catboat, Selina II. Esther and Bridg were active members of the Shelter Island Yacht Club.

After the births of their sons, Bridgford and Ainsworth, and daughter Selina, the family first summered in the Heights. In 1970, the Hunts built a home in the Village of Dering Harbor, where the family gathered for many of life’s milestones, including the births of the next generation.

Esther, a Master Gardener, was a member of the Garden Club of Shelter Island. Her flower arrangements were awarded many ribbons, including the Tri-color. She was a creative sculptor best known for her soft sculpture of elegantly dressed mice and a large Jester and King Neptune. She was an avid world traveler and had a talented eye for photography, gifting many Islanders with her photos.

Esther was a dedicated supporter of the Shelter Island Public Library, Shelter Island Historical Society, the Shelter Island Friends of Music, and the Taylor’s Island Foundation. She also served the Village as the Mayor of Dering Harbor, sang for decades with the Shelter Island Community Chorus, and partied with The Red Hat Mamas.

Esther’s enduring love for Shelter Island and its community is reflected in her preservation of more than 30 acres of land in honor of her mother, the Mildred Flower Hird Preserve (east and west) in the Village of Dering Harbor. The Preserve, which opened to the public in 2019, ensures public access to nature for future generations. Her legacy lives on in the landscape she helped protect and in the many lives she touched.

She is survived by her children Bridgford Ainsworth Hunt (P.A.T.) Shelter Island; Ainsworth Hird Hunt (Juli) Boise, Idaho; Selina Iris Hunt Robertson (Kent) Royal Oaks, Maryland; grandchildren Selina Hunt Truelove (Jeff), Martin Ainsworth Hunt (Amanda), John Bridgford Hunt; great-grandchildren Ernest Bridgford Truelove, Selina Jane Truelove, Jameson Gutiw Hunt; niece Elizabeth Hird; and nephews Peter and Nicholas Timmons.

Family friends put it best: “Esther was simply amazing. Beautiful blue eyes, the gift of making someone feel warm and welcomed, smart, great sense of humor, kind, thoughtful and just delightful. She will be missed!”

A celebration of Esther’s life will be held later this year.