Happy Heavenly Birthday Lt. Hunter

Today, we would like to wish our foundation's namesake, Lt. Christopher Hunter, a happy heavenly birthday. Lt. Hunter would have turned 42 today. Lt. Hunter is gone but never forgotten. His family, friends, and fire service family continue to honor his memory each and every day in different ways.

Chris undoubtedly was a family man. He had a deep love for his wife Claire and two children, CJ and Emma. Combine that love of family with an affinity for the Jersey Shore, specifically LBI, and Chris was in his glory on family vacations.

The Hunter family made annual trips to the shore in the summer and even some random runs just to put their toes in the sand throughout the year. From making sandcastles with CJ to dipping Emma's toes in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time; Chris enjoyed every minute with his family along the shore.

When Chris and Claire were not spending time with their children they were out together with friends that they always considered family. Chris was one to brighten the room with a quick joke or comment that got everyone laughing. You had to be on your toes around Chris or he would drop the proverbial 'hammer' on you and then never let you live it down, ever.

Two more of Chris' favorite things were the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Phillies. It's only fitting that Chris' birds are playing today at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are 9-1 entering the game against the Chicago Bears and Chris would've enjoyed the ride Eagles fans have experienced so far in the 2017 season. Chris also loved a good Eagles tailgate, as you can see in one of the photos in the gallery at the top of this post.

In honor of Chris today, his wife Claire and son CJ are attending the game in Philadelphia. Chris would've been all over this Eagles team, likely sneaking glimpses of the game while on duty at the firehouse, or watching with CJ if he happened to have an off day. Either way, we know that Lt. Hunter is watching the game with Claire and CJ today.

Chris had the opportunity to take CJ to his first-ever Phillies game. He also taught CJ how to hit and throw a baseball. The two would play catch or even hit a few on the beaches of LBI or Ocean City each summer.

Chris; we love you, we miss you, and we honor you in everything we do each day. Happy birthday, Lt. Please share your memories of Chris with us on our Facebook page.