One of the earliest stars of girls basketball in its return to Logan County has passed away. Diana Grinter Hunter was a member of the Logan County Cougars Athletic Boosters Hall of Fame.
After helping the Olmstead Ramblerettes win the first four district championships when the girls game resumed after 42 years in the fall of 1974, she went to Kentucky Wesleyan College to play basketball. Soon it was to do much more.
The Ramblerettes never lost a district game while she was playing. She was named All District five straight seasons, beginning as an eighth grader. Diana also won the state 110-yard hurdles as a junior in the 1978 track meet.
She was recruited to play basketball by Kentucky Wesleyan College, and she added softball her freshman year. Her last two years at WKC she played four sports—adding volleyball and tennis, making her a 12-letter winner in college.
As an adult, she has been a teacher, counselor and coach. During 29 years as an educator in Owensboro, she coached girls basketball, volleyball, boys and girls tennis, and boys and girls track. Since retirement as a high school educator, she has been coaching college tennis and was currently both the girls and boys tennis coach at Brescia University.
Brescia posted Sunday: The Brescia family is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Head Tennis Coach, Diana Hunter. She was a bright spot within the athletic department and the Brescia community. She will be severely missed.
Seven women were among the first two classes into the Logan Hall of Fame. She was one of them. The late Bob Birdwhistell—former coach, athletic director and principal—served on the committee during the early years and was her most ardent supporter to be inducted. It wasn’t her basketball that had impressed him as much as watching her win that state track championship in Elkton.
Two other members of those Olmstead basketball teams coached by Denny Milam, Lugene Rogers and the late Gary Shelton. They are sisters Lillie Mason and Gracie Mason Woodard. Some other key members of those teams were Nancy Jones Beard, Littie Jones, Lorraine Carter and Gail McIntosh Scholl.
Among her survivors are her daughter, Monique Robinette; her sisters, Mary Webb, Gail Grinter, Dorothy Grinter, Sandra ‘Cheese’ Grinter; and her brothers, Gary Grinter, Sammie ‘Bubba’ Grinter and Carl Grinter.
Tributes began pouring in for her as soon as word of her death began to spread.
Ramona Bard wrote: “I met her when I was a teacher at Owensboro High School. We became friends right away. She was the only staff member that came to visit and check on me when I was in the hospital with double pneumonia. Sweet, and beautiful lady inside and out. A caring guidance counselor to the students at OHS.”
Her former student, LaTaysha Evans, wrote: “You can’t tell me representation doesn’t matter! Ms. Hunter was everything for a black student like me. She changed the world! Mine especially. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with the gift of Diana Hunter.”
Alma Randolph Crump says, ‘I met Diana Hunter when I was a teacher at OHS. We became friends right away. She was the only staff member that came to visit and check on me when I was in the hospital with double pneumonia. Sweet, and beautiful lady inside and out. A caring guidance counselor to the students at OHS.”
Her daughter Monique wrote, “G.O.A.T. My mom truly was the definition!! She truly has been a lot of people’s saving grace! A real-life Angel on Earth. Everything she was, I strive to be every single day… and i hope one day i can be half of the woman she was. A lot of people don’t know, but my mom adopted me when I was six months old, and there is no blood that could make us closer. Everyone would see us and say, “You look just like your mom, and we would just look at each other and smile..”