Mr. Lee Hunter was born on November 30, 1931, in Demopolis, Alabama. He departed this life on July 3, 2021, surrounded by his loving family. He was born to Jeffrey Hunter and Josephine Nixon of Gallion, Alabama. He was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Julian S. Hunter, and John H. Hunter.

Mr. Hunter came to Akron, Ohio in his early twenties and later fell in love and married Miss Ollie Mae Walker. Four years after they married, the couple welcomed their daughter Vera Lee Hunter.

Mr. Hunter became a dedicated and faithful member of Wesley Temple AME Zion Church. Lee held many roles in the church, including the Steward Board, Male Chorus, and Bus Ministry, among others. As a member of the Steward Board, he rose to the level of Preacher Steward. He knew everyone’s role on the Steward Board, such as those responsible for General Claims, Tithes and Offerings, Sunday School, Ministry of Kindness, and other areas. Although he was not a member of the Trustee Board, Lee gave freely of his time and talents to trustee issues. He was quite knowledgeable of the many functions of the church facility. He quietly went about his way solving numerous problems. Lee was twice voted Man of the Year, an honor well deserved. Lee mentored and left a lasting impression on all of us. He will be sorely missed.

All his life, Lee was a very generous and caring man and loved helping people. He kept busy by helping family and friends fix things around their homes and his church. It brought him so much joy to be able to work on things with his hands. He also enjoyed traveling to see family around the U.S., and especially loved to visit his granddaughters Kerri and Kayla. His granddaughters were his heart, and he lit up when they came to visit him each summer growing up.

When Lee spent time with his family, some of his favorite things to do included watching westerns, working on projects, eating catfish and spaghetti dinners, and playing games like Sudoku. He had a wonderful sense of humor and spent a lot of time laughing and telling jokes with his family. He was also a dedicated fan of the Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers and enjoyed watching and listening to games.

Lee served in the Army and the Army Reserves and held several jobs at Firestone, Goodyear Aerospace, and Girl Scouts of America.

He leaves to cherish his memory his daughter, Vera (Bruce) Malone of Elgin, Illinois; brother Willie Lee (Doris) Hunter of Patterson, New Jersey; 2 sisters, Hollie White of Demopolis, Alabama and Angelia Moss of Birmingham, Alabama; sister-in-law, Matilda Hunter of Birmingham, Alabama; 2 grandchildren Kerri (Christian) Malone of Memphis, Tennessee and Kayla Malone of Elgin, Illinois; as well as many relatives and friends.

We remember Lee Hunter as a loving father, a wonderful brother, an amazing grandfather, and a dear friend. We are fortunate to have known and learned from him. To honor Lee’s memory, we are reminded to express the same kindness, love, and empathy he so often extended to all those he knew.