Louis Reams Hundley, Professor Emeritus of Biology at the Virginia Military Institute, passed away on March 26, 2022, at the age of 95.

Born May 22, 1926 at "Oakleigh" in Albemarle County, he was the son of E. D. Hundley, III, a house builder in Charlottesville, and Louise Agnes Reams, the first woman to receive a graduate degree from Richmond College, now the University of Richmond.

He married Katheryne Leigh Tindall of "Hatton on the James" in 1953 and they were married for 56 years before her passing. Louis was predeceased by his three brothers, John, E.D. and Reid Hundley.

Louis matriculated at VMI in June 1943 with the Class of 1947, and after three semesters he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

After completing basic training, he was sent to the University of Minnesota in 1944 to study Japanese language and culture under the auspices of the Army Specialized Training Personnel. After World War II, he served as an interpreter in Japan. He helped supervise the first democratic election in Japan and went on patrol to tour factories and schools. He then supervised Japanese workers at an off-post American Red Cross canteen.

After his Army service, Louis returned to VMI and completed his degree in biology in 1950. He then studied at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (now Virginia Tech) and earned his master's degree in wildlife management and his doctorate in biology. While he worked on his doctorate degree, he served as a part-time instructor at Virginia Tech and Radford University and as a wildlife biologist with the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Dr. Hundley then returned to VMI and was a professor in the Biology Department from 1956 to 1990. Courses he taught included genetics, human physiology, biostatistics, zoology, comparative anatomy, and biomedical terminology. He served as acting head of the department for two years.

During his career, Dr. Hundley also taught courses at Washington and Lee University and the College of William and Mary. He was a student at National Science Foundation Summer Institutes, completing coursework in radiation biology at Tulane University and in desert biology at Arizona State University. He was a visiting scholar at Duke University in 1972.

In addition, he served as Scoutmaster and Troop Committeeman for Troop 5 of the Boy Scouts of America. He was a fundraiser for the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, for which he developed a presentation on the carcinogenic effects of smoking.

As a long-distance runner, Louis competed in local, regional, and national events for men 40 and older, including several marathons and half-marathons. VMI cadets frequently saw him running on post and nicknamed him "Hot Rod". In 1978, he became a gold medalist in two widely disparate track and field events. He won the decathlon for his age group in The Athletic Conference and the marathon in the Southeastern U.S. Masters Track and Field Meet.

Louis spent his later years as a resident of Kendal at Lexington, where he continued to be an avid reader and was known for his quick wit and sense of humor. The family is very grateful to the staff at Kendal for the care and attention they have shown to Dad for many years.

He is survived by his daughter, Mary Louise Hunt, and son-in-law, Mark Olen Hunt of Williamsburg.

Graveside services will be conducted at Oak Grove Cemetery at 1 p.m. Friday, April 1, 2022, by Pastor Joseph Cailles. A reception to honor Louis will be held at Kendal Hall that afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Louis be made to the VMI Foundation or the Kendal at Lexington Staff Appreciation Fund.

Arrangements are by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory, Lexington.