Wayne’s Hunters

Honorary Captain: Wayne Hunter

Wayne Hunter was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario Canada.  As a young boy he enjoyed fishing, skating and biking on the Canadian side of the Detroit River.  

At the age of 18, Wayne took a job with the Canadian Postal Service.  He continued working his way up through the organization eventually settling into a supervisory role close to his home in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.  Valuing the stability and routine, Wayne continued to work for the Postal Service for 46 years, long after he was eligible for retirement.  He retired in June 2012, after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 

Wayne was an avid hunter and angler who spent weeks every year preparing for an annual trip to Northern Ontario with his lifelong friends.  The preparations for the trip were as enjoyable for him as the trip itself.  He took this two week trip every September for 45 years, not missing it once.   

Wayne was a healthy man on the verge of retirement, when on his 63rd birthday he suddenly lost speech while bringing groceries into the house.  He was rushed to hospital that evening where some of the best neurosurgeons in Canada operated on him, removing a large tumor from his brain.  In spite of removing the majority of the tumor, his prognosis was poor.  Wayne continued his fight against cancer with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, battling long enough to see all of his grandchildren born.  Wayne passed away on November 27, 2014 succumbing to glioblastoma and a secondary pancreatic cancer diagnosis. 

Wayne will forever be remembered by those who knew him as a hard-working, dependable, reserved and patient man, who loved and adored his wife, Rose, of 38 years.  He worked hard to care for his family, and was an amazing father to his daughters Sarah, Becky, and Erin.  He will be remembered as a role model by his sons-in-law Matt, Jim, and Derek, always being there when they needed a hand, no matter how big or small.  

He would have been overjoyed to cheer on ‘Wayne’s Hunters’ and proud to see the passion and dedication his grandsons, Owen and Caleb Wierstra, have to the great sport of hockey.  Go Hunters Go!!!