Hugh “Mike” Huntington, Jr., a Pacific Palisades resident for more than 40 years, passed away at home on August 27, after a brief illness. His wife, Mary, and son, Dan, were by his side, and most of Mike’s family had been with him that morning and in the days prior to his death, having gathered to celebrate Mike and Mary’s 60th wedding anniversary. Mike was a loving, devoted, and caring husband, outstanding father and grandfather, and great friend to many. In turn, he was much loved by his family and many friends who enjoyed and benefited immensely by his good humor, generous nature and personal interest in their well-being. Mike had a full life of family, friends, work, travel and good health for 85 years. Born on May 11, 1921 in Columbus, Ohio, Mike was the son of Hugh Huntington and Augusta Menefee Huntington. In his youth and throughout his life, Mike exhibited a sense of adventure and good will. He became interested in airplanes during the 1920s and ’30s, having seen Charles Lindbergh in a parade, and later meeting Orville Wright, of the Wright Brothers. Mike learned to fly an airplane at age 16, making him the youngest pilot at that time in Columbus. He also was a record-setting football player, known as the “Blond Express” at Bexley High School. Just prior to and during World War II, Mike attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Ohio State University, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He was a proud veteran who had enlisted in the Army Air Corps and as a flight instructor flew P-40 and P-51 fighter planes. After the war he attended Purdue University and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering. During the war, Mike was stationed at Edwards Dry Lake (later, Edwards Air Force Base). He met Mary Cox in nearby Los Angeles, soon after she moved out from New York City with her family. They were introduced by Mike’s cousin, Margaret, who was Mary’s classmate and sorority sister at UCLA. Margy and her husband, Dan Gayton, are longtime residents of the Palisades. Mike and Mary were married on August 30, 1946, at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. During his career as an engineer in the aerospace and telecommunications industries for more than 50 years, Mike worked with Air Supply (a division of Garrett Corp.), Northrop, Raychem Corporation, Huntington and Associates and recently with MTI Engineering. During the past two years, Mike co-authored and published, with his son, Tom, his first book, “The Story of Your Life: A Fill-in-the Blanks Autobiography,” designed so people could leave a record of their life story to family and friends. For most of their married life, Mike and Mary worked, lived and raised their family in Pacific Palisades. They also lived in San Francisco for four years, during the 1970s, while Mike was working with Raychem. Mike’s greatest joy and source of pride was his wife, four children, their spouses and his nine grandchildren. Mike and Mary loved traveling together, visiting family and friends and exploring new places. Mike enjoyed music, especially Dixieland and Big Band-era jazz, and played piano and sang for his wife, family and friends. He enjoyed many outdoors activities’gardening, going to the beach or the park for long walks, sailing, hunting and skiing’and was a member of the Pacific Palisades Rod and Gun Club and the Bel-Air Bay Club. He liked reading and and was a member of the California historical society, E Clampus Vitas. Throughout his life Mike was especially adept at helping family and friends, providing wisdom, friendship, strength, support and guidance during times of difficulty and need. Mike is survived by his wife, Mary Jessica Cox Huntington; his sister, Jane Huntington Cook of Sherman Oaks; his children, Daniel (wife Rosalie) of Sherman Oaks, Thomas (wife Shelly and children Alissa and Nate) of San Francisco, Katherine (husband Dr. P. Joseph Frawley and children Patrick, Thomas, Luke and Claire) of Santa Barbara, and James (wife Joyce and children Katherine, Margaret and William) of Oakland. He was preceded in death by his sister, Katherine Stephenson of Grosse Point, Michigan, and his brother, Bill, a longtime Palisades resident. A private memorial service will be held to celebrate Mike’s life. In lieu of flowers, he asked that donations be made to the Los Angeles Times Summer Camp Campaign, File# 56984, Los Angeles, CA 90074-6984.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
