Obituary

Robert Eldon Hunter II

Robert Eldon (“Bob”) Hunter II, (63), late of Orange, Texas, passed away on March 6, 2026, at Dallas Medical City Spine Hospital, after a 3-week battle following a major heart attack. He was surrounded by his wife Kathaleen Hunter and daughter Caitlin Christensen. The other children were with him in spirit.

Bob was born on May 21, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Catoctin High School in 1980, earning the Director's Award his senior year. Bob went on to serve 20 years in the United States Navy, from 1980 to 2000, achieving the rank of PO1/MM1. During his service, Bob served aboard the USS Tautog (SSN 639) and the USS Georgia (SSBN 729) Gold crew. He was also part of the decommissioning crew of the USS George C. Marshall (SSBN-654). His shore duty stations included the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in Milton, New York; Trident Training Facility Bangor in Silverdale, Washington; the Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut; and the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in Charleston, South Carolina. Bob earned numerous military honors, including the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy "E" Ribbon, Fifth Good Conduct Medal for the period ending January 1, 1999, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia, Submarine Insignia, and Master Training Specialist.

In 2006, after his retirement from the Navy, Bob obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Applied Science and Technology from Thomas Edison State University, the first member of his family to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. He embarked on a career in the gas-powered turbine industry. His roles ranged from building and startup of power plants, training engineer, developing maintenance training, Operations and/or Maintenance Manager and Plant Manager for various companies in the industry.

Bob and his wife Kathaleen tied the knot on June 17, 1989. Their family expanded quickly, with seven children born between 1990 and 2005, and two heaven-bound children in 1998 and 1999. Through years of Navy deployments, Bob made it a point to be present for what mattered most: he never missed the birth of any of his children and was away for only one Christmas. A hardworking individual, Bob had worked hard to provide for his family and had a deep drive to teach others. He was known for his honesty, always standing by his word and honoring his promises. For instance, after retiring from the United States Navy and beginning work at Benton PUD, he fulfilled a promise to his wife by purchasing her dream horse for her to train. And though their family was large, Bob found a way to take everyone on vacation every three years to places like the Disney theme parks, SeaWorld, and Hershey Park.

Bob loved Jesus, his wife, his children, and grandchildren, who knew him as “Papa”, in that order. He was born again in 1994, and in his faith found a natural voice in music, whether through playing in the brass section of a church worship team or, later, as a passionate worship drummer. The highlight was his place on the CMA Missouri State Worship Team in 2022, utilizing the skills he learned from receiving a diploma in recording engineering and music production from the Audio Institute of America. He also played drums for the Christian bands "The Poor" and "Banned Loot" at local churches, coffee houses, and fairs.

Another passion of Bob was flying, having earned his private pilot's license in 2011. He relished flying around Washington State and even took some of his children on a memorable trip to Wenatchee, Washington, for a "$100 hamburger". He was medically grounded in 2015 after surviving his first battle with cancer in 2015.

Bob was equally passionate about motorcycles, working his way up through several bikes until he reached his goal of owning a Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic, his favorite bike that, by all accounts, fit him like a glove. In 1993, he became a member of the Christian Motorcyclists Association and was involved in five different chapters across the United States. A highlight of 2025 was attending the 50th Anniversary International Changing of the Colors Rally, in October.

Bob is survived by his wife, Kathaleen Hunter; his children, Colleen “Kat” Carney, Mathias Hunter, Jennifer “Jayden” (Misty) Hunter, Caitlin (Pete) Christensen, Carys (Rachael) Hunter, Erin (Jeremiah) Hunter, and Brenna Hunter; his grandchildren, Koral Dufresne, Ella Carney, Logan Carney, Faith Carney, Vallerey Robinson, Kyrie Christensen, and Camden Christensen; his siblings, Norman (Ginger) Fuller, Norma (Paul) Howard, Martha “Marty” McCoy, Roberta “Robin” (Tim) McAfee; and numerous nephews and nieces. Bob is preceded in death by his mother, Josephine Ann Hunter, his father, Robert Eldon Hunter, and his brother, Thomas Fuller.

A celebration of life for Bob will be held on May 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Grove Tabernacle, Hartburg, Texas. A burial for Bob is tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2026, at Bushnell National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513; time to be announced. Those wishing to offer support are encouraged to make a donation to the GoFundMe started by his wife Kathaleen to assist with medical and funeral expenses, as Bob was the family's sole provider: https://gofund.me/6934ab3b0.

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