One of the difficult tasks of beginning the painful journey of learning to live without Nathaniel Justin Hunter (Nathan), is sharing the news of his death in Arkansas in a motorcycle accident.
Nathan was born in Guelph on August 21, 1981. He is loved profoundly and will be much missed by his wife, Nika Munro Hunter; his adored son, Darcy (age 2); his parents, Michel and Deborah; his sister, Martha; his father- and mother-in-law Don and Cynthia Munro; and his brothers-in-law Tully and Travis Munro.
Nathan grew up in Guelph and he would want us to thank those teachers, neighbours and employers who believed in and supported him. Nathan placed a high value on the idea of community; not just the neighbourhoods you lived in, but also how people can come together out of shared ideas and values. He appreciated the inspiration and support that community provided.
Nathan taught his parents so much. He read widely and critically on many topics. Time spent with him was like a class at university. He continues to teach us even now, and we can hear him reminding us that the hardest part of flying is always the landing.
Nathan was passionate about motorcycles, and many of Nathan's and Nika's fondest memories involved their motorcycle journeys. He told us once that riding a motorcycle was a metaphor for living.
Nathan also loved music. His favourite songwriters were the ones who told stories, and that was the kind of songwriter he was too. He believed deeply in the power of stories and the importance of people discovering their own voice with which to tell them.
Nathan so enjoyed being a father and worked hard at being the best dad he could be. He loved being with Darcy: reading, building, creating, and exploring, including splashing in puddles. He never hesitated to tell people just how lucky he was to have Nika and Darcy in his life. We are so grateful and fortunate to have had Nathan in ours.
Nathan's absence will be deeply felt by many. We will miss his ideas, his creativity and problem-solving skills, his wicked sense of humour, but most of all his love—including those great hugs of his.
We believe his main request would be for you to love more, and to do so stronger and more easily. His second wish would be for you to go enjoy some live music. We’ll be thinking of one of Nathan’s favourite songs as we say goodbye to him, Guy Clark’s "The Randall Knife":
"So we took his ashes out to sea
And poured them off the stern
And threw the roses in the wake
Of everything we had learned"
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, donations can be made to the Canadian Music Therapy Fund or Outside Looking In. A fund has also been set up for Darcy and Nika on GoFundMe. Nathan's immediate family wishes to thank everyone who has helped and supported us in so many ways, especially in their sharing of Nathan stories. We are touched and very grateful.
A celebration of Nathan’s life will be planned for a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to Bryan Funeral Home.