Thomas E. Hunter, 78
Thomas E. Hunter, age 78, of Largo, passed away suddenly on Saturday, January 3, 2026, with his loving wife Annette by his side, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was the beloved husband of Annette S. (Martel) Hunter, with whom he shared 38 years of marriage. Raised in Onset, MA, he was the son of the late Walter and Evelyn Hunter.
Tom attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and became an aeronautical technician at Avco-Lycoming in Connecticut. He earned his engineering degree from Northeastern University while working at Dynatech Corp in Cambridge, MA, where he met his wife.
After getting married, Tom and Annette moved to Florida where Tom opened Clearwater Canvas, a marine canvas and upholstery business. After learning fabrication techniques from his uncle, Tom perfected his craft and became certified as a Master Fabric Craftsman, winning several craftsmanship awards for his work. He served his customers well, but his passion for quality work led him to use his engineering expertise to advance the industry, developing a software program and writing a book on frame design to the benefit of other fabricators. He was very active in his trade group, the Marine Fabricators Association, becoming a sought after speaker for conferences and serving on the board for several years as Director, Vice Chairman and ultimately Chairman.
Tom loved to laugh and spend time with family and friends. He lived an active lifestyle and enjoyed boating, fishing, kayaking, cycling, pickleball, snow skiing, ice skating and hiking. He loved nature and exploring all the local parks and beaches. He appreciated the beauty of nature, even in his own backyard, taking meticulous care of his trees, plants and flowers. He also loved to travel, and he and his wife took numerous trips over the years, creating many special memories.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife and devoted caregiver Annette, his sister, Karen Wheatley (Mike) of Princess Anne, MD; and his nieces and nephew, Kim Bozman (Tim), Stacey McIntyre (Joe), Mike Wheatley (Megan), and Lauren Brittingham (Jody). He is the brother-in-law of the late Dave Martel (Heather), Michelle Francis (Wally), Paul Martel (Debbie), and Louise Kozak (Mike), and the uncle of Lisa Smith (Jeff), Philippe Martel (Sherri), Michael Martel (Raine), James Martel, Lauren Kozak, and Matthew Kozak. He also leaves many great-nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Tom’s Life will be held on Saturday, February 28th, 2026 from 3:00pm to sunset at the DoubleTree Hotel located at 17120 Gulf Blvd, North Redington Beach, FL 33708. Donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or at https://alzfdn.org/donate.
