'He has offered North Carolina his life': North Carolinians reflect on the legacy of Gov. Jim Hunt

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Those who knew former Gov. Jim Hunt shared with Eyewitness News what his lasting legacy will be on the Tar Heel State.

His family, including current Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, announced Thursday that Gov. Hunt had passed away at the age of 88.

Hunt was the longest serving governor in North Carolina history, serving for 16 years as governor. He first served from 1977 to 1985 then again from 1993 to 2001.

Brenda Pollard first met Gov. Hunt when she worked for former Secretary of State Thad Eure.

"He's an icon. He's a legend. He has offered North Carolina his life," she said.

She says they quickly connected over their rural roots.

"We both grew up on farms. And yet we feel like sometimes you just put your hand in that dirt and it never leaves your fingernails," said Pollard. "It never leaves who you are and you know who you are. And you give back to your state."

Hunt implemented many changes to move North Carolina forward, but one of his lasting impacts is the Smart Start early childhood education program.

"His parents were very active in education. So that led him to start something for the four-year-olds to get them that start," she said.

She also remembers him as a leader who wanted to include everyone in government.

"In 1996, he appointed me to be a banking commissioner. There were very few women sitting at the table with commissioners," she said.

Pollard showed Eyewitness News some of the memorabilia she has of him at her Durham home, including the last Christmas card he sent her in 2021.

"He just loved North Carolina. He just had that desire to make it better. And that's what we have to remember about him," said Pollard.

The Hunt Institute, founded by the former governor, also reacted to his passing, saying in part that his legacy lives on in every student whose future is strengthened by education.