James "Jim" Hunter

Obituary

James “Jim” Robert Hunter, was called home on August 22, 2024, after some health complications, he was 73 years old. He had an extraordinary life and will be greatly missed and forever remembered.

Whether known as Jim, Dad, Poppa, Grandpa Nooo, Jimmer, Catfish, Fish, Boss, Mr. Jim, "Drone" or fondly Jimmy to his “Momma”, he had loving family and true friends all over the world.

Born to Sergeant Major “Robert O.” and Jiana Hunter in Colorado, a self-proclaimed “army brat” he grew up with his loving parents and three big sisters mainly in Hawaii and California. His love of the ocean began as a youngster growing up in these beautiful locales.

Starting in primary school he participated in swimming, baseball, and basketball. As a teenager in Monterey, he found his fondness for surfing. Ever athletic, he continued his affection for sport throughout his adult years by playing golf, joining a softball league with his best buds, and even refereeing high school basketball, just like his Dad had done. He enjoyed swimming and snorkeling in the ocean, river rafting, fishing, walks along the beaches and trails, he was always on the move.

Although his late teen years were tough at times, that all changed when he got on a good path with the Lord and discovered a passion for serving people in the hospitality industry. As he would tell it, he began as a “bus boy and worked his way up”, climbing his career ladder, working in many departments, including Events, Conferences and Catering, Food and Beverage, Assistant General Manager, and eventually becoming General Manager of multiple famous hotels and resorts. His goal always was to put the customer first and make thousands of guests’ dreams come true. As GM at Sunset Waters Beach Resort in Curaçao each week he’d kick off ChooChoo's karaoke night by belting out the theme song to Gilligan’s Island to get his guests in a singing mood, showing off his plentiful goofy and silly side. But his professionalism always shone through whether he hosted a single vacationer or huge groups or conventions of 100s, remembering details, and personalizing each guest’s experience. Even after retiring in Mendocino County, California, he continued to serve people by heading up a weekly community meals program with his church family and working with the elderly at Senior Helpers.

Throughout his life and vast 55-year career in the hospitality industry, taking him to 8 states and 5 different countries, he gathered great stories and even served some very famous faces along the way. Including Ronald Reagan, Robert Stack, and Bill Cosby (yes, that Bill Cosby) at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. In the mid '90s, he was Director of Events for the AT&T Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach where he served golf legends including Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as well as celebrities Bill Murray, Joe Pesci, Jack Lemmon, Huey Lewis, and Clint Eastwood among many others. He hosted and was photographed with Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, and Mikhail Gorbachev at the Fairmont in San Francisco. At Atlantis in the Bahamas, he put on the grand reopening where he met Oprah Winfrey and NBA great Michael Jordan. When he was Food & Beverage Director at Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, he hosted the entire cast of the film 10 Years starring Channing Tatum, Justin Long, and Rosario Dawson. He even served Tina Fey in Maine at the Black Point Inn while she was on a weekend getaway, he didn’t know who she was at the time but treated her as he did all his guests, friendly and pleasantly.

Jim leaves behind his “honey”, wife Laurel. His loving protective big sisters "June Ann", Kathleen, and "Jeannie Lou", who all helped him so much throughout his life. And best Brother-in-law Jon (Kathleen). He was so very proud of his precious daughters from his first wife, Naomi: Starr (“Starry”) and April (“Mouse”) and their husbands “Baker” (Starr) and “Ricky” (April), who he genuinely considered his sons. A few years ago, he felt so blessed to connected with his lovely eldest daughter Raina, whom he adored. He treasured Starr’s boys, his beloved grandsons, Oryon and Indygo. He was a fantastic “Uncle Jim” to his darling niece “Sunny” and dear nephews “Bobby” and, spittin’ image, James, and their wonderful families. Always a gravitational magnet to the munchkins, you’d often find a kiddo riding around on his shoulders or being tossed up in the air and caught just in the nick of time. He was famous for crawling around on all fours, with a handful of little ones on his back getting pony rides, he was a true “jungle Jim” to all the little ones. He cherished his extended family so much and remained close with his Cousins: Shirley, Jimmy, Norm, the whole Chadwick clan and all their loving families. He valued his little community in “Mendo”, and was so fond of Melissa and “Mikey”, his other neighbors, and many fine folks around town, always making friends wherever he went. He felt blessed to be a Deacon at Mendocino Presbyterian Church, headed up by "Pastor Matt".

He truly treasured and adored the loved ones in his life and always worked hard to protect and provide for them. He had an adventurous, passionate spirit and an impeccable work ethic, instilling in all that knew him to… take pride in your work and do the best job you possibly can, love God and love your special people, and have a little fun and enjoy the good moments in life.

"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" ~ Hebrews 13:1-2 

Services

Saturday, April 5th, 2025 at Noon

Del Monte Beach off Tide Ave, Monterey, CA 93940

Join us for a gathering to share memories, stories & lunch to follow



Thursday, April 10th, 2025 at 5:30 pm

Noyo Headlands Park, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

Join us for a coastal sunset walk in Jim’s honor, gather, share & take a little stroll together

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