Willis W.A. Hunter, Jr.

November 4, 1924 - May 4, 2018

Willis Armstrong Hunter, Jr. (W.A.), age 93, a resident of Hunter Field Lane in Columbia, passed away on the morning of May 4, 2018 at NHC Maury Regional.

A funeral service will be held on Monday at 11AM at Heritage Funeral Home with Clay Gentry officiating. Burial will follow in Spring Hill Memorial Gardens. A visitation will be held on Sunday from 4-7PM in the Hunter Room at the funeral home. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

W.A. was born on November 4, 1924 in Maury County, Tennessee and was the son of the late Willis Armstrong Hunter, Sr. and the late Emma Lucile Tindell Hunter. He spent most of his 93 years in Tennessee with a few years spent in Decatur, Alabama. He graduated high school from Columbia Central High in 1943. He married his sweetheart, Christine Hunter, on December 21, 1947 when he was only 23 years old at Lanton Church of Christ, where they were members for over 70 years. He worked at Atmos Energy until he retired at 65, but his true passion was aviation. He dreamed of flying when he was a little boy. He saved money every way he could until he got his pilot's license. From there he became a flight instructor and eventually built his own airport.  W.A. also loved telling stories. You could count on him providing entertainment at any gathering in the form of tall- tales and ghost stories.

W.A. leaves behind an amazing legacy with his wife: Christine Church Hunter; their 3 children: Dexter (Linda) Hunter, Dan (Sheila) Hunter, and Carolyn (Wayne) Bolin; grandchildren: Shane Hunter, Derek (Kat) Hunter, Larissa Thomas, Matt (Catherine) Hunter, Heather (Ben) Prasser, and Amber (Ryan) Estabrooks; great grandchildren: Hunter (Ashley) Thomas, Sarah Thomas, Wesley Bartlett, Braxton Hunter, Marion Barlett, Danna Hunter, Bennett Hunter, Celia Hunter, Jaxon Hunter, Noah Prasser, Amelia Prasser, and Cora Prasser; and great great grandchild: Harlow Thomas.

Pallbearers will be Shane Hunter, Derek Hunter, Matt Hunter, Hunter Thomas, Ben Prasser, and Ryan Estabrooks. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Lanton Church of Christ.