Paul Hunter Jr.

Paul Hunter Jr., a Scranton native and longtime resident of Clarksville, Maryland, passed away peacefully on Saturday after an illness. He was 70 years young. He is survived by his best friend, wife and the love of his life, Silvia (Petry) Hunter.

Born on April 9, 1953, and raised in Scranton, Paul was the son of the late Paul Sr. and Eileen (Merrick) Hunter. A 1971 graduate of West Scranton High School, he earned his bachelor's degree from Wilkes University before earning graduate degrees in both physics and computer science from the University of Maryland.

Paul's sheer intelligence and quest to perpetually learn more made him such an asset to any cause. He was recruited to work for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. before being employed by NASA where he would achieve the status of chief technology officer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, prior to his well-deserved 2013 retirement. To know Paul was to love him and he will certainly be missed.

Along with his beloved wife, he is survived by loving family including his sisters, Carol Hunter, of Dickson City; Eileen Zellers and husband, Gary, of Scranton; Patricia Hunter, of Scranton; Sue Klucher and husband, Jon, of South Abington Twp.; and Elizabeth Jones and husband, Harry, of North Port, Fla.; grandchildren, Timothy Selden, of Catonsville, Md.; Justice Petry Anderson and Cache, of Riverton, Utah; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Paul was also preceded in death by his daughters, Brooke Lyn Leone and Melissa Petry-Selden; and his brother, James Hunter.

Silvia would like to thank the entire staff of the Kline Hospice House in Mount Airy, Md., for the amazing care given to Paul over the past two weeks.

Private arrangements for burial at Cathedral Cemetery in Scranton are under the care of the Kevin K. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Please visit the funeral home's website for directions or to leave a condolence.