Jason Douglas Hunt passed away on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at Dougherty House in Sioux Falls, after a 4 ½ year battle with cancer. He was 56. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am, Friday, September 18, 2026, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph (521 N. Duluth St., Sioux Falls). The family will greet friends for visitation from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Miller Funeral Home - Southside Chapel (7400 S. Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls), with a wake and rosary service starting at 6:30 pm. 

Please Click Here To View The Livestream Of The Wake On Thursday

Born on July 24, 1970, in Sioux Falls, SD, to the parents of Barb (Brandsma) and Duane “Dewey” Hunt. He came into the world 20 days past due. He fought the odds with cancer, with the doctors frequently saying, “You just keep surprising us and are not like our typical patients”. Long walks with his daughter and the many protein drinks that Shelly gave him were a defining factor in his daily fight.

Jason frequently talked about his childhood as being interesting and filled with lots of fun. He loved spending time at Pine Lake Hills. Jason and his brother Tim enjoyed this close-knit community that had a pond, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and the best Halloween parties. He continued the pond tradition with his own kids by taking them there and looking to take home any creature that they could find. Jason’s love of Halloween was passed down to his kids. Some of his favorite costumes were the following: a werewolf at Pine Lake Hills and family costumes of Wizard of Oz, Flintstones, and Scooby Doo. You can see that he was one of the kids. In fact, in our old neighborhood on Lexington Circle, he was often asked to come out and play with the other neighborhood kids.

Jason completed a few years of college and found his love for computers and using his “big brain” to self-teach everything there is to know about them. He moved up the ranks and led a team of 8 people at Zurich/RCIS, where he worked for 20+ years. He always had a side gig brewing that he hoped would take off.

Jason met the love of his life, Shelly, and they were married on December 13, 1997. Christmas was another favorite holiday of both. The two traveled a bit before they had kids. 

Tabitha was born on May 26, 2001. She definitely became a daddy’s girl. The two of them love to debate about world affairs and go on long walks.

Jonah came into the world on March 27, 2005. Jason passed down his love of writing short stories to his son. They loved to go to movies together and compete head-to-head on trivia challenges.

Asher is the youngest Hunt and was born May 3, 2009. Jason and Asher like to play basketball together and go to his work for Nerf gun fights and to just hang out.

When asked about what Jason’s proudest moments are, he responds joyfully that his kids are. He always wanted to be a loving and involved dad.

He is survived by his wife, Shelly; children, Tabitha 25, Jonah 21, and Asher 17; brother, Tim Olken-Hunt (Lizzie); niece Stella; nephew Percy; sister-in-law, Brooke (David) Keller; his late brother in law Rob Kuchta’s children; nieces Chloe, Macey, Lyla, and nephew, RJ; step-dad, Scott Neil; step-grandma, Carrie Brandsma; mother-in-law, Carolyn (Phil) Reynolds; father-in-law Delno Kuchta; aunts, Becky (Roger) Parker and Linda Hunt; cousins, coworkers, and friends. All of them will cherish his memory.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara (Brandsma) Neil and Duane “Dewey” Hunt; his grandparents, Bob Brandsma, Marge Brandsma, and Max(Tressa) Hunt; his brother-in-law, Rob Kuchta; and his beloved childhood pet, Coco.

Though his life ended too soon, his memory will live on through stories and the foundation that he built for his children.

The family welcomes all those who knew him to celebrate his life with us.

Memorials may be made directly to the family.