Gene Hunnicutt
Chester Eugene Hunnicutt, born June 22, 1937, died August 15, 2021 at the age of 84.
Gene was born in Powell to Chester J. and Francis L. Hunnicutt. He grew up in Powell and graduated from Powell Senior High in 1955.
After attending college and earning a certificate in horology (watchmaker and watchmaker), Gene joined the US Air Force in 1958 and served until 1962. While stationed in Altus, Oklahoma, Gene met the love of his life, Martha (Douglas ) Hunnicutt. know . They married on May 14, 1944. They were blessed with three beautiful daughters while living in Altus. In 1966, after ending his engagement with the USAF, he and his family moved to Powell.
Gene and Martha worked with his parents in the family business Hunnicutt Jewelry. In 1968 they became the owners of the shop. Gene has always prided itself on being a successful part of the small business community. He worked hard and long hours building Hunnicutt Jewelry after taking it over from his parents. The store was in business in Powell City for 64 years.
Gene loved spending time with his family and extended family. He loved the Lord and raised his family in the United Methodist Church in Powell.
He was very active in the Kiwanis Club and supported small businesses in the community. He held many offices in the Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. He loved camping and fishing on the North Fork and in the Beartooth Mountains. He also loved hunting rabbits on the bench.
After their retirement in 1998, Gene and Martha were able to travel a lot. In 2002, they decided to settle in the San Pedro Resort Community in Benson, Arizona. He and Martha loved it there and established themselves well in the community. Gene was a member of the Benson Ward for over 20 years.
He loved being busy and meeting people. He connected with others through The Hunnicutt Watch and Clock Repair Shop in his home, worked for Winn Bundy in the Singing Wind Bookshop, the Lions Club, and volunteered and helped his community in every possible way. He loved having a good time and having a good laugh. He spent many hours playing pool, playing cards, swimming, and visiting with his sister and many friends in the San Pedro Resort Community, in town and the surrounding communities.
Genes will all be missing. We are grateful for a quick journey back into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We know that he was received by his 60-year-old wife Martha. I can only see her hug and he whisper in her ear, “How is my sweet cake and my favorite redhead?” He was a good husband, father and friend, and he had a heart of gold.
Gene leaves behind his sister Zola Schultz from Benson, Arizona; Daughters, Kim (Kenny) from Aumsville, Oregon, Louisa (Byron) from Farmington, New Mexico, and Sheila (Buddy) from Columbia, Tennessee. He also leaves six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, four nieces and their spouses and one nephew.
He was buried in the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A celebration of his life will take place at a later date.
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