Winsome Hunter

Winsome Lark Hunter, 91 passed away in Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday, December 11, 2020.  Lark was born to Carl Wild and Lelia Ellen (Singleton) Hunter on May 15, 1929 and was raised in the Red Oak community of Buncombe County near Asheville, North Carolina.   In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Grayson Robin Hunter and his sisters and their spouses, Edith Wren Freeman (Dewey) and Ramona Rae Shepherd (Ray).

Lark is survived by his wife of 71 years, Adelma Albertina Godeassi Hunter and their children Sandra H. Steele (Tom), Romero Carl Hunter and Linda Maria Hunter,  and grandchildren Jay (Robby) Robison, Jr. (Lisa), Neely Kimbrell (Andy), Zachery Hunter, Erin Hunter (Joseph Combs), Meghan Harrell (Jeremy), Emily Thurber (Lance), and great grandchildren Derrick Huey, Rava and Remi & Rossi Kimbrell, Adellyn and Clayton and Sarah Kelley and Cheyenne Fenton and Jesse Harrell and Blain Turney and Jamerson Thurber.  Lark is also survived by his daughter-in-law Joyce Hunter and his sister Joy Lorraine Cooper of Decatur, Alabama and sister-in-law Betty Sue (Cotton) Hunter of Richardson, Texas along with nephews and nieces Alan Freeman (Mary), Judy Benfield (Jim), Douglas Shepherd, Mona Lisa Robinson, John Cooper (Melissa), Tammy Dodson (Don), Robin Louis Hunter (Roma), and Lelia Lauderdale (Robert).

Lark and Adelma were married in 1949 during the WWII occupation of Italy while Lark served four years in the Army 88th Infantry Division; prior to that, Lark worked in the ship yards in Newport News, VA. After honorably leaving the Army, Lark became a licensed pipefitter and continued education via night courses and correspondence, settling in North Carolina and starting a family.  In 1956 Lark joined the Absorption Division of Servel, Inc. located in Evansville, Indiana as a Service Representative.  Lark believed the air conditioning field presented excellent opportunities and predicted that 60 of 100 homes would have some type of air conditioning by 1965.  By 1957 Lark and Adelma had three children.  In 1958 Arkla Air Conditioning Corp. purchased the Absorption Division of Servel and Lark became a Field Service Manager.  Lark continued to make management advancements with Arkla, and the family lived in 14 locations, which included seven years in the Netherlands as the Managing Director of Arkla Air Conditioning, Inc.’s Europe, Middle East & Africa Division.  In 1984, Lark retired early from Arkla, and in 1986, he started CLA Grills & Service, becoming a world-wide gas grill parts internet company that is still active today, with children and grandchildren carrying on the family-owned business.  In his later years, Lark imported wines from Italy to the Little Rock, Arkansas markets, more of a hobby than a business endeavor.   Lark instilled a strong sense of work ethic and fortitude in his children and grandchildren and he seemed to know a little about everything.  He was our “go to Dad” when we needed help and advice.  Lark valued family and also in his later years compiled a genealogy of the Hunter and Godeassi families.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.  Arrangements by Smith-Sherwood Funeral Home, 7700 AR-107, Sherwood, AR 72120 (501) 834-1191.  Sign Mr. Hunter’s guestbook at www.smithfamilycares.com/sherwood