Wilber Lee Hunter

W. Lee Hunter, broadcast engineer

Friday, December 24, 2010; 5:38 PM

W. Lee Hunter, 90, a longtime broadcast engineer with WJLA-TV in
Washington, died Dec. 15 at his home in Silver Spring. He had skin
cancer.

Mr. Hunter was at WJLA for 26 years and was a cameraman during
inquiries by Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) into alleged communist
influence in the Army in 1954.

Wilbur Lee Hunter was born in Alexandria and graduated from
Anacostia High School in 1940.

He served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he graduated
from the Capital Radio Engineering Institute in Washington.

He began work with NBC before transferring to WMAL-TV, the
precursor to WJLA. He retired in 1978.

He later worked for television systems at Gallaudet University and
George Washington University. In retirement, he helped establish internal
broadcasts of proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives for the
Library of Congress.

Mr. Hunter received the National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences Silver Circle for his contributions to broadcasting in 1992.

He was a longtime member of the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in
Silver Spring.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Audrey Paley Hunter of Silver
Spring; two children, Gayle Haglund of Richmond and Edward Hunter of
Chevy Chase; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.


- Timothy R. Smith