Selena Marion (Hunt) Hunking was born on March 19, 1924. Marion and her sister Ruth grew up in the Christian home of Ernest and Edith Hunt in the small village of Gormley (present day York Region). In 1944 Marion fulfilled a childhood dream by entering and graduating from the School of Nursing at Toronto General Hospital. While working as a specialized nurse she completed further education (1949) with a degree in Bible training from Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener. At Emmanuel, Marion met and married Willis Hunking.
After graduation, Marion and Willis left Canada for Nigeria where they laboured as a missionary team over the next twenty plus years. The contrast of life in Ontario to rather stark living conditions of West Africa could not have been more pronounced for a rather shy girl from Gormley. Marion learned the Nupe language; helping translate Bible courses while running medical dispensaries and leprosy clinics first at Mokwa and later at Share.
Within a span of nine years Marion and Willis gave birth to five children; Bryan, Patricia, Edith, Garth and Mary. All were born in Nigeria.
Towards the end of two decades in Nigeria Marion's time focused less on hands on medical care and more on teaching nutrition, hygiene and Christian education at the Ilorin Theological College.
The family returned to Canada in 1969. While Willis pastored churches in Kitchener and Elmira Marion was drawn into leadership roles with the Woman's Missionary Society. Over a span of twelve years Marion served as President at local, district, national and international levels.
Marion weathered the heartache of losing her daughter, Patricia, to cancer (March 2003) and her husband, Willis, age 88 (August 2009).
In retirement Marion enjoyed friendships forged on two continents including a large circle of family (twelve grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren plus one more on the way) and friends. Marion and Willis lived in a retirement home in Kitchener. After the passing of her husband, Marion spent three precious years with family (daughter Edith/Mark) in North Bay and most recently made her home at Bethany Lodge in Markham, Unionville. This past March, she celebrated her 96th.
A sustaining strength of our family that gave Mother and Father confidence to face the unknown was their brothers and sisters love and support . The Elliott and Hunking families and cousins, nieces and nephews were crucial support systems for sharing the exciting challenges achieved and low moments of sickness and death of parents. Their constant connection softened the isolation while away in Africa and the transition of our family back into Canadian culture. Our nuclear family leaned on our powerful deep family roots for stability: Mother's sister Ruth/Ron Elliott and Father's siblings Sadie/Telford Ferris, Leaman/Dorothy Hunking, Ivadel/Carman Wraggett, Elmer/Margaret Hunking, Clarence/Dorothy Hunking, Bertha/Harold Jackson, Elva/John Crawford
Abruptly, last week Marion faced life ending health issues leading to her passing on June 26, 2020. Mother lived her life bathed in scripture and prayer and is remembered as a gracious, gentle, kind and extraordinarily non judgemental woman that lived each day of her life for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Obituary
