Selene Hunter aka Nancy Anne Rate
Born on 18 November 1939 in Santa Barbara, California to Robert Goodwin Rate MD and Ina Marguerite Gehlbach Rate.
Selene passed away on 10 January 2026 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Selene was reared in an Army family and spent most of her youth moving to different Army posts within the United States and Heidelberg, Germany.
During the years of WWII, she lived on a farm in Ogden, Iowa, where she flourished under the mentorship of her grandmother Lela Hunter Gehlbach, embracing the independent lifestyle she would emulate in later years.
In the early 50s, the family settled in Halstead, Kansas where her father practiced medicine.
Selene had a very active life at Halstead High School where she participated in most school functions from Glee Club to the Honor Society. After graduation she attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, then transferred to the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. She completed her degree at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Selene moved to Kansas City where she ran the Art Research Center (ARC) with her partner. In addition, she was director of a community center, was employed by Hallmark Cards and worked at the Playboy Club.
Selene owned and operated the Hunter Group, a medical transcription business, while living in Boston. She was married to Tamotsu “Tom” Yamamoto, an architectural Illustrator and Professor at Mt. Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts until his death in 2012.
After selling her business and retiring, she moved to Revere, Massachusetts. She was a fiercely independent and self-sufficient woman. She became passionately involved in environmentally conscious issues as well as political issues concerning women’s rights and freedom to choose their own destinies.
Being self-sustaining as possible she turned her home into a pleasant, peaceful refuge, nurturing her fruit trees, growing her own vegetables, and re-homing squirrels. She repurposed and recycled most everything along the way. Selene did not own a car, choosing instead to walk everywhere or use public transportation
She traveled the world taking watercolor workshops in Italy, participating in archeological digs in Greece and researching family genealogy in England. She enjoyed taking knitting and ceramics classes as well.
Selene is survived by her siblings, sister Peggy Candace Rate, brother Lyman Thair Rate and brother Robert Gehlbach Rate and several nieces and nephews.