Dorothy Browning Hunt

Born Dorothy Jayne Browning on July 14, 1926 - our beloved wife, mother, sister and friend passed away March 16, 2006. She was born in Chicago to George Franklin Browning and May Rose Novak Browning living through the Great Depression. While growing up, she was also cared for her by her sister Beverly Hope Browning Lang and husband Stanley. Dorothy had a complex and creative mind. At two or three years of age, she created and spoke her own language of her chosen words that only her sister could understand. This before she learned to speak English. At age 8, she was awarded a scholarship to the Art Institute at the University of Chicago. Even at that tender age, she rode the bus alone to downtown Chicago every Saturday to attend class. She faithfully studied while attending the Academy and at age twenty received a BA degree and the highest award in her class. She was an exceptional artist working mainly in casein and tempera and later drawings of live models. Her love of painting never ceased. After World War II, while visiting her father and his second wife, Audrey Pearl Taylor Browning at Sardine Lake Resort, Dorothy met and fell in love with Chandler C. Hunt. Chandler had just returned from serving in the war and was helping the Brownings build Cabin #5. They were married on July 21, 1946 along the shore of lower Sardine Lake. The Hunts eventually bought a dairy between Lincoln and Auburn with seed money from Chandler's father, "Harry" Benjamin Harrison Hunt, who was a good friend of Dorothy's father. Dorothy and Chandler raised three children there - Janis, Thomas and Elizabeth. Rural life was sometimes hard for Dorothy having been raised in the city. However, she nurtured her family while continuing to paint, study and teach leaving a wonderful legacy of art. Not long after her beloved father passed away in 1971, Dorothy and Chandler bought Sardine Lake Resort from Audrey Browning in 1975. Dorothy, sharing George and Audrey's "sparkle in the eyes", soon captivated their cabin guests who came to love her as they had the Brownings. Dorothy's love for Audrey never ceased and after her passing in 1995, the loss of a beloved third parent hit her very hard. She began a gradual decline and was cared for by her loving family and friends until pneumonia set in. She also leaves grandchildren Sean, David, Joshua, Jon, Rana and Hannah; two great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews including Charles Hunt, Elaine VanCamp, Linda Firstman and Barbara Chevalier and her dear sister-in-law, Charlotte Hunt; adopted daughter in spirit, Donna Sharp and the Boucher family of Joel, Robert, Jenny and many, many friends. Dorothy had a great love of life, family, friends, the unfortunate, art and fishing. She will be missed. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please donate to "The Western Sierra Residential Center" in Downieville (530/289-3298) or your favorite charity. Graveside services will be Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 1 p.m. at the Sierra City Cemetery. A buffet will be served for friends and family at the Old Sierra City Hotel immediately afterward. Please sign the online guest book at http://www.legacy.com/lincolnnews-messenger/