Charles Richard Hunter

Charles Richard “Charlie” Hunter, Sr., age 84, of Middleburg, passed away on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, at his home surrounded by his family. He was born in Ray City, Georgia (near Moody AFB) and grew up in Waycross and Manor, Ga. At a young age Charlie discovered he had a high aptitude for all things mechanical. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a mechanic, maintaining and repairing jet engines and ejection seats on fighter jets. Following his military service he returned to Georgia and met and his wife to be Betty Jean Strickland in Patterson, Ga. Charlie and Betty married and raised a family of four children in Jacksonville and Clay County. He owned and operated service stations including Texaco and Exxon in Jacksonville, and opened a Firestone Service Center on Lane Ave. in Jacksonville. The last station he owned was the Gulf Station in Green Cove Springs. Charlie was a hard working, smart businessman and was a good provider for this family. In his retirement he continued to work, driving a truck for Florida Rock. He logged over 3 million miles in his Mack truck without an accident and was awarded a gold watch at his retirement. He also helped his son Steve at his shop, KARR Doctor for many years. Charlie was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many and he will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, Betty Hunter of Middleburg; sons, Charles Richard Hunter, Jr. (Lauri) of Middleburg, Steve Hunter, Sr. (Hope) of St. Augustine; Michael Robert Hunter (Kerry) of Middleburg; Sisters, Sue Roberson of St. Marys, Ga., Diane Hunter Guy of Jacksonville; grandchildren, Andy, Billy, Leslie, Stephen, Sarah, Michael, Krista, Zachary, and 11 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Carol Hunter. A memorial service will be held at 4 pm on Monday, August 10, 2020 at St. Johns Family Funeral Home with Bill Clayton officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at Jacksonville National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlie’s memory can be made to: Vitas Hospice. In keeping with the CDC Coronavirus guidelines every attendee must wear a mask and the number of attendees may be restricted. We ask that if you are at high risk, feeling ill, or traveling from an area with a high level of infection, please do not attend the service. Those unable to attend can view the service live streamed at https://iframe.dacast.com/b/156599/c/iframe.dacast.com/b/156599/c/549019 . St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Charles Richard Hunter

February 11, 1936 - August 5, 2020