Horace Herman Hunter

Celebration of Life for Horace Herman Hunter Sr.

Horace Herman Hunter Sr., known affectionately as "Pops" to his family, passed away peacefully on February 9, 2026, at the remarkable age of 104. He accepted Christ at an early age and carried that foundation with him throughout his life.

Pops was born on June 26, 1921, in Selma, Alabama, to James Hunter Sr. and Annie Walker Hunter. Those who knew him rarely called him by his given name-he was simply Pops. Born in the deep South during the Jim Crow era, he lived through and persevered across some of the most defining moments in American history. Over his long life he witnessed the hardships of the Great Depression, the trials of World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement. He would also see humanity reach the moon, the election of the first Black president, the swearing in of the first Black woman vice president, and the survival of a global pandemic- living long enough to celebrate 104 extraordinary years.

Growing up in Selma alongside his sisters Marie and Queen Esther and his brother James Jr., Pops developed a curiosity and strong work ethic at an early age. After school he often stopped by a local shoe repair shop to watch Mr. Vans carefully mend shoes, handbags, and hats. One day Mrs. Vans invited him inside to see the craft up close. With his mother's permission, he began working there part-time, as long as it did not interfere with his studies. That opportunity sparked a skill he would carry throughout his life. Pops continued learning the trade until he graduated from Knox Academy High School in 1939.

In 1940, Pops married Lillian Burke. The couple welcomed twin sons, Horace and Morris, and later moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where Pops worked on an Army Air Force base during World War II. Near the end of the war, he moved the family again, this time to Seattle, Washington - where he founded and operated Triple H Construction Company, building homes and businesses and laying the foundation for his entrepreneurial career.

After separating from Lillian in the early 1950s, Pops later married Ernestine Hunter. Their daughter Yvette was born in 1955, followed by their son Victor in 1956. Eventually, Pops closed his construction business and joined the Merchant Marines, working as a boiler room operator aboard the USS Marine Lynx. His work carried him across oceans and continents. He visited ports throughout Central America, the South Pacific, East Asia, and the Middle East, traveling to places such as Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. No matter how far he traveled, Pops always wrote letters home.

Those letters, arriving regularly in envelopes trimmed with the familiar red, white, and blue stripes, became the beginning of a new chapter in his life. Through them, Pops courted Carrie Louise Lundy Jones, a devoted mother in Selma raising nine children. Much of their courtship took place through letters and phone calls, but Pops embraced the idea of building a family together. They married in the summer of 1967.

Determined to start a new life together, Pops invited the children to help decide where the family should settle. After a family vote, Atlanta, Georgia won over St. Paul, Minnesota. In June 1968, the entire family climbed into a Chrysler station wagon and headed east toward their new home and a fresh beginning. Their daughter, Shelia Marie Hunter, was born in 1970.

Beyond his years at sea, Pops remained a man of many talents. He was a self-taught architect, a creative residential and commercial builder, and the skilled shoe repairman he first trained to become as a young boy. His entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and perseverance shaped every chapter of his life and touched many people along the way.

In 2009, Pops married Camilla Jackson-Hunter, at the Atlanta Braves stadium. For a brief time, he returned to Selma, Alabama, before eventually settling again in Atlanta. At the age of 97, he moved to Austin, Texas, where he spent his final years surrounded by family, living with his daughter Shelia, son-in-law James, and granddaughter Erica.

After moving to Texas, Pops remained active and busy with home improvement projects. He continued driving himself wherever he needed to go until 2021, when he finally decided to hang up his keys. Even then, he took pride in maintaining his independence, cooking his breakfast each morning, doing his laundry, and washing the kitchen dishes.

In his spare time, Pops enjoyed figuring his lottery numbers, reading the sweepstakes that arrived in the daily mail, and watching a good Western or action movie.

One of his greatest joys was seeing his "Sweetheart," his granddaughter Erica, graduate from high school as Homecoming Queen and head off to college. He also loved riding around town with his son-in-law James, running errands and occasionally spending time at his daughter's salon, where he enjoyed talking with the beautiful ladies. Pops truly never met a stranger throughout his long and remarkable life.

Pops was preceded in death by his parents, James Hunter Sr. and Annie Hunter; his brother James Hunter Jr.; his sisters Queen Esther Hunter and Marie Hunter Braxton; and his daughter Yvette Hunter. He was also preceded in death by his former wives Lillian Burke Hunter, Ernestine Butler Hunter, Carrie Louise Hunter, and Camilla Hunter.

He leaves behind a devoted and loving family. His daughters are Shelia Marie Hunter Lawrence (James) of Austin, Texas; Gwendolyn Jones Thomas (Kenneth) of Cleveland, Mississippi; Carolyn Jones and Yolanda Jones Celik of Atlanta, Georgia; and Joan Jones Thomas (James) of Shaw, Mississippi. He is also survived by seven sons: Horace Hunter Jr. of San Jose, California; Morris Hunter of Long Beach, California; Victor Hunter of Seattle, Washington; and Clarence Jones (Janis), Frederick Jones, Sherman Jones, Christopher Jones, and Anthony Jones, all of Atlanta, Georgia.