67 at time of passing during wildfire
******************
Bay Area News Group, January 18, 2019
Gary Lee Hunter was known to friends and family as "Curly" his entire life.
It was a nickname that stuck from when he was a little boy: He would curl up anywhere he could, and fall asleep. So his siblings started calling him "Curly" and the name stuck.
Hunter, 67, grew up in Texas and came to the Chico area when he was about 12 years old with his family, including three siblings and his parents. His paternal grandmother lived here, and his father, who mostly worked on ranches as a heavy machine operator, wanted better opportunities in California, his family said.
His sister Gail Roeving, of Arizona, described her late older brother as someone she could always rely on.
"I always knew if I needed anything, I could call him and he would be there," she said.
Roeving said although he and her other two brothers, Jerry and Terry, would playfully tease her, Hunter was always protective of his younger sister, and made sure the other kids knew it.
Having grown up on a big farm, her brother was always carrying around his BB gun or a slingshot, Roeving recalled. She and Hunter's ex-wife, Linda Najera, described him as an outdoorsman, even as an adult, who enjoyed being outside hunting or fishing. He also would always be working on his 1946 Ford truck, remaking it. It was almost recently completed; it just needed a paint job.
Hunter was a hard worker, Najera said, and worked in metal fabrication shops for most of his life, most recently at Advanced Building and Metal Fabrication in Chico. The shop helped produce the steel for Chicago's famous "Cloud Gate," nicknamed "The Bean."
"He was a good dad," she said, breaking down. "He never missed a day of work. He was a good provider."
He had to stop working after suffering a stroke about five to six years ago and he began using a wheelchair.
Hunter is survived by three children, Brian, Gary Jr. and Ryan, as well as many grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
******************
Bay Area News Group, January 18, 2019
Gary Lee Hunter was known to friends and family as "Curly" his entire life.
It was a nickname that stuck from when he was a little boy: He would curl up anywhere he could, and fall asleep. So his siblings started calling him "Curly" and the name stuck.
Hunter, 67, grew up in Texas and came to the Chico area when he was about 12 years old with his family, including three siblings and his parents. His paternal grandmother lived here, and his father, who mostly worked on ranches as a heavy machine operator, wanted better opportunities in California, his family said.
His sister Gail Roeving, of Arizona, described her late older brother as someone she could always rely on.
"I always knew if I needed anything, I could call him and he would be there," she said.
Roeving said although he and her other two brothers, Jerry and Terry, would playfully tease her, Hunter was always protective of his younger sister, and made sure the other kids knew it.
Having grown up on a big farm, her brother was always carrying around his BB gun or a slingshot, Roeving recalled. She and Hunter's ex-wife, Linda Najera, described him as an outdoorsman, even as an adult, who enjoyed being outside hunting or fishing. He also would always be working on his 1946 Ford truck, remaking it. It was almost recently completed; it just needed a paint job.
Hunter was a hard worker, Najera said, and worked in metal fabrication shops for most of his life, most recently at Advanced Building and Metal Fabrication in Chico. The shop helped produce the steel for Chicago's famous "Cloud Gate," nicknamed "The Bean."
"He was a good dad," she said, breaking down. "He never missed a day of work. He was a good provider."
He had to stop working after suffering a stroke about five to six years ago and he began using a wheelchair.
Hunter is survived by three children, Brian, Gary Jr. and Ryan, as well as many grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
67 at time of passing during wildfire
******************
Bay Area News Group, January 18, 2019
Gary Lee Hunter was known to friends and family as "Curly" his entire life.
It was a nickname that stuck from when he was a little boy: He would curl up anywhere he could, and fall asleep. So his siblings started calling him "Curly" and the name stuck.
Hunter, 67, grew up in Texas and came to the Chico area when he was about 12 years old with his family, including three siblings and his parents. His paternal grandmother lived here, and his father, who mostly worked on ranches as a heavy machine operator, wanted better opportunities in California, his family said.
His sister Gail Roeving, of Arizona, described her late older brother as someone she could always rely on.
"I always knew if I needed anything, I could call him and he would be there," she said.
Roeving said although he and her other two brothers, Jerry and Terry, would playfully tease her, Hunter was always protective of his younger sister, and made sure the other kids knew it.
Having grown up on a big farm, her brother was always carrying around his BB gun or a slingshot, Roeving recalled. She and Hunter's ex-wife, Linda Najera, described him as an outdoorsman, even as an adult, who enjoyed being outside hunting or fishing. He also would always be working on his 1946 Ford truck, remaking it. It was almost recently completed; it just needed a paint job.
Hunter was a hard worker, Najera said, and worked in metal fabrication shops for most of his life, most recently at Advanced Building and Metal Fabrication in Chico. The shop helped produce the steel for Chicago's famous "Cloud Gate," nicknamed "The Bean."
"He was a good dad," she said, breaking down. "He never missed a day of work. He was a good provider."
He had to stop working after suffering a stroke about five to six years ago and he began using a wheelchair.
Hunter is survived by three children, Brian, Gary Jr. and Ryan, as well as many grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
******************
Bay Area News Group, January 18, 2019
Gary Lee Hunter was known to friends and family as "Curly" his entire life.
It was a nickname that stuck from when he was a little boy: He would curl up anywhere he could, and fall asleep. So his siblings started calling him "Curly" and the name stuck.
Hunter, 67, grew up in Texas and came to the Chico area when he was about 12 years old with his family, including three siblings and his parents. His paternal grandmother lived here, and his father, who mostly worked on ranches as a heavy machine operator, wanted better opportunities in California, his family said.
His sister Gail Roeving, of Arizona, described her late older brother as someone she could always rely on.
"I always knew if I needed anything, I could call him and he would be there," she said.
Roeving said although he and her other two brothers, Jerry and Terry, would playfully tease her, Hunter was always protective of his younger sister, and made sure the other kids knew it.
Having grown up on a big farm, her brother was always carrying around his BB gun or a slingshot, Roeving recalled. She and Hunter's ex-wife, Linda Najera, described him as an outdoorsman, even as an adult, who enjoyed being outside hunting or fishing. He also would always be working on his 1946 Ford truck, remaking it. It was almost recently completed; it just needed a paint job.
Hunter was a hard worker, Najera said, and worked in metal fabrication shops for most of his life, most recently at Advanced Building and Metal Fabrication in Chico. The shop helped produce the steel for Chicago's famous "Cloud Gate," nicknamed "The Bean."
"He was a good dad," she said, breaking down. "He never missed a day of work. He was a good provider."
He had to stop working after suffering a stroke about five to six years ago and he began using a wheelchair.
Hunter is survived by three children, Brian, Gary Jr. and Ryan, as well as many grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
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