Max Lee Hunter

1944 - 2024

Max Lee Hunter

April 7, 1944 - December 30, 2024

MAX LEE HUNTER (80), of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away, Monday, December 30, 2024, at Golden Years Homestead. Born in Jasper County, Indiana, Max was the son of the late Orville and Velma Hunter. Max graduated from Morocco High School with the dream of becoming an Indiana State Police (ISP) Trooper. For a short while, Max lived that dream and was appointed as Trooper on July 1, 1967. Shortly after, at age 23, he was drafted into the Army. On June 18th, 1968, Max was shot while serving in the Vietnam War. He spent 18 months recovering at Walter Reed Hospital. For his service, Max received a Purple Heart. However, this injury altered his original plans with the ISP.

When Max was released from the hospital, he was assigned to be a Police Dispatcher earning a Sagamore of the Wabash award for his dependability in the field of communications and for serving consistently as the nucleus for building the strong and effective communications team at Lowell (IN) District. He remained in the service of the Indiana State Police until he retired in 2001.

In 2023, his sister, Gretchen Swallow, organized Max's participation in the Purple Heart Honor Flight. Max and his nephew (fellow Indiana State Trooper and Army service member), Mike Swallow, flew to Washington DC with 101 other Purple Heart recipients to visit the memorials dedicated to their service. This included the Vietnam War Memorial.

When Max was not serving and protecting, he lived a thankful and simple life. You could find Max with his favorite pipe rocking in a chair with a flannel shirt, blue jeans and half boots. He farmed land, spent time in his wood shop and ate at Bob Evans. He doted on his nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. All of them enjoyed the thoughtful gifts from Uncle Max. His rocking chairs, horses, trains, and other wood toys were among the favorites. In return, they provided him with an abundance of soap-on-a-rope. Max was known to have pearls of wisdom that he would share with friends and family alike.

Max, this world is better because of your sacrifice to our country. Our state is safer because of your continued service, and our family was positively impacted by your consistent presence. As you run into Jesus' loving arms shout about 2 Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."

Surviving Max are his siblings John (Donna) Hunter, Gretchen Swallow and his friends from the Indiana State Police. Preceding Max in heaven are his older brother and sister-in-law Donald and Judith Hunter. Service is 2 p.m., Friday, January 10, 2025 at Pathway Community Church, 1010 Carroll Road Fort Wayne, Indiana, with calling from 11 a.m. until the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission https://fwrm.org. FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services is handling arrangements.