R L “Bobby” Hunter
Section 12, Lot 26W
Prospect Cemetery
Bobby Hunter was a Toronto stockbroker and sportsman for 50 years. Along with Sam Starr and several friends it was Hunter of spearheaded the ultimately unsuccessful drive to sell community ownership in the International League Maple Leafs in 1963, after Jack Kent Cooke, the previous owner, moved to the States. The Community Leafs lasted for four seasons. Hunter’s biggest deal ever, was the sale of the franchise to a Louisville, Kentucky buyer for US$70,000, when the team was on the brink of bankruptcy. Even after the demise of the Leafs, Hunter maintained an interest in baseball. The first manager if the Community Leafs was Sparky Anderson (of Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds fame, and who was the first manager to win a World Series in both leagues.) The next manager was Dick Williams, who moved to the Boston Red Socks in 1967. Hunter was said to be very proud to be able to say that the opposing managers in the 1972 World Series (Williams’ Oakland Athletics defeated Anderson’s Reds), had both worked for his ball club. Bobby Hunter was also a major fan of thoroughbred racing, and had been a up and coming lacrosse star, until he lost the sight in one eye when he was 16. Hunter was named to the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1986. He died on August 25, 1987 at the age of 74.