Gail Hunt passed away peacefully at her home in Arlington Virginia on January 13, 2022 at the age of 76, but her legacy and contributions will not be forgotten.

She was born on June 3rd, 1945 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the eldest child of the late Bruce A. Gibson and the late Alvina Stolinski Gibson. Gail was a pioneer in family caregiving, bringing global recognition to the field over the course of her 35+ year career in aging advocacy. She was passionate about cooking, traveling, and collecting quilts.  She adored flowers, so much so that she kept a pair of rusty gardening shears in her glovebox, often sending whichever child was riding upfront to do her pilfering.   Multiple complaints from neighbors did little to sway her from always having fresh daylilies on the kitchen counter.   

She disliked kale, waiting in lines, “country + western” music, and any legislation that infringed on women’s rights. She was a staunch non believer in grocery “best by” dates and was horrendous at holding the camera steady during a FaceTime call. But Gail had many loves, too. She loved her career, her hobbies and her family and she leaves quite a legacy for them to carry on. Gail is survived by both her children, their spouses and her two granddaughters. Her love of comedy and results-driven mentality will live on with her son, Brooks Hunt of Virginia. Famously opinionated and not always the most tactful, Gail handed these qualities down to her daughter, Courtney Hunt of New York. Her passion for learning and openness to experiencing new things will live on through her son in law, Alexander Witko. Gail’s leadership as a professional at the national scale is a legacy that has been passed on to her daughter in law, Carla Hunt. She took extreme pride in her two adorable granddaughters Addison and Carter Hunt, who affectionately called her GG. Gail is survived by former husband, Scott Hunt, her brothers Wayne, Glenn, and Mark Gibson and sister Lynne Boveri.

In addition to family, she also loved soft shell crabs, tulips, Vivaldi, Marimekko, figs, BBQ, early American history, art from her granddaughters, Shakespeare, carrot cake, antiques and single malt scotch.

Anyone who set foot inside Gail’s home understood instantly her passion for art and curiosity about the world. Her bookcases were lined with books from museum exhibits and cultures she studied. She was a member of the Met, the MOMA, AVAM, and regularly took classes at the Smithsonian. Variety was the spice of life for Gail, and although she would probably roll her eyes at that adage, the breadth of her artifact collection (South American pottery, African masks, Asian textiles, American Folk Art) spoke to her keen eye and passion for craft. Her love of color was everywhere - in her jewelry, her clothes and her art. She spent countless hours searching for the interesting or unique; scoured craft fairs and gem shows for the most unusual designs. When it came to art, she was an early adopter of the “outsider art” movement in the early 1990s, seeking out and commissioning artwork from well known folk artists.

In her lifetime she traveled the globe for both work and pleasure, including places such as Bhutan, China, India, Sri Lanka, all over Europe, Morocco, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, and Thailand. Her passion for traveling and culture was sparked at a young age. She grew up as a military brat and the oldest child of five, living in Maryland, Alaska, Panama, New York and Illinois all before graduating high school. She began undergrad at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY and graduated with her bachelors from Columbia University in Manhattan in 1968.

Gail started her career at the Nielsen Company in New York and within a few years moved to the DC Metro Area as a Senior Manager for KPMG Peat Marwick. In 1981, Gail started and served as president of her own aging services consulting firm for 14 years, where she conducted corporate eldercare research for the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. She developed training for caregivers with AARP and designed a corporate eldercare program for the Employee Assistance Professional Association. However, what Gail is most well known for professionally is her contributions to the field of family caregiving. For 21 years, Gail Hunt was the Founder, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, a non-profit coalition dedicated to conducting research and developing national programs for family caregivers. Over the course of her tenure, Gail brought the organization from its humble beginnings to that of a national and global leader. As caregiving issues became more relevant for the aging population, she was often quoted in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

As a national expert in family caregiving and long-term care, Gail served on the Policy Committee for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging, as well as on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Advisory Panel. She was the chair of the National Center on Senior Transportation, Commissioner for the Center for Aging Services Technology, Board Member of the Long-Term Quality Alliance and the National Center for Creative Aging. Additionally, she served on the PCORI Board of Governors from 2010 to 2020, where she was a member of the Engagement, Dissemination, and Implementation Committee, the Science Oversight Committee, and the Selection Committee.

Despite being such a powerful thought leader in the field, Gail had a youthful sense of humor and laughed at herself easily. She loved a bold glass of Malbec and watched SNL religiously. She always took it in stride when her kids ribbed her for sending texts like “what does G.O.A.T mean?” and “what does W.T.F stand for?” She loved jazz, going to movies and the theater with friends. At home, she loved cooking, tending to her herb garden and curling up in front of a PBS show.

She was a force and will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by many friends, family, colleagues and the caregiving field.

Gail was inordinately fond of flowers, mojitos and steel drum music. All three of which will be featured at her celebration of life event in April. More details to come soon. 

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