John Leroy Hunsinger, age 98, passed away on November 28, 2025, in the comfort of his home, surrounded by family. Graveside service will be held at a later date.
John, also known by his lifelong nickname “Jack,” was born on January 27, 1927 in Lavelle, PA to Samuel and Catherine Hunsinger. After graduating high school at age 17, he immediately joined the Army and went on to serve in the Signal Core at the close of World War II and during the Korean War. In 1947, at the age of 20, he was promoted to wire chief of division headquarters. By the time of his discharge in 1954, he had achieved the rank of master sergeant.
After his decade in the Army, he attended Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1957, he took a job at Curtiss Wright in Clearfield, PA, where he met a beautiful young woman named Barbara. They were married on February 28, 1958, beginning a love story that would span 67 years until her death in 2023.
John quickly advanced in his engineering career. While working at RCA, he designed a communication system and then traveled to Greenland to oversee its installment. He later worked at Westinghouse, Pratt and Whitney, Gulfstream, and other cutting, edge communications and aerospace companies, moving his growing family several times in the process. He also earned his private pilot’s license, as well as his A&P certificate. He took his young family on many travel adventures in his plane, including a cross-country trip to visit extended family.
In 1977, John and Barbara packed up their family of six and made the move to Stuart, Florida, where they would remain for the next thirty years. While in Stuart, John designed airplane engines for Pratt and Whitney. He also attended church with his family regularly, lending his beautiful baritone voice to many musicals and productions. When he wasn’t at work or in church, he loved to fish, golf, go on outings in his sailboat, and build RC airplanes; and he especially loved his easy chair, where his grandkids could always find a warm and willing lap to crawl up in.
John retired from Pratt and Whitney, and then spent the next 10 years doing engineering consultant work, after which he officially retired at 75. In 2005, he and Barbara fulfilled their lifelong dream of building a log cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, where they lived for 16 years, creating more memories with family.
In 2021, John and Barbara made their final geographical move to Texas, to live near their youngest daughter and her family. While his body grew more tired in the next four years, his intellect and humor remained strong to the end.
John made an indelible impression on everyone he met. Yes, he was brilliant; but more importantly, he was real, kind, humble, funny, honorable, loyal, steadfast in his faith, and had the warmest smile that could light up any room. He loved his wife, family, and everyone around him well. He was the epitome of a life well-lived: a good man.
Sixteen million U.S. men and women served in World War 2. Today, there are only an estimated 66,000 of them still living. On November 28, that number decreased by one; but his light shines on in the lives he touched along the way.
John is survived by two daughters, Adrienne Lynn Daniels and husband John of Hoboken, NJ and Alyssa Lee Graves and husband Jack of Brownwood, TX; two sons, John Hunsinger II and wife Rhonda of Lexington, SC and Jeffrey C Hunsinger of New Smyrna Beach, FL; 4 granddaughters, Alyssa Graham of London, England, Catherine Hunsinger of Columbia, SC, Sarah Barrett of NYC, NY, and Hannah Graves of Brownwood, TX; 2 grandsons, Charles Graves of Laporte, IN and Johnny Graves of Brownwood, TX. John is also survived by numerous foster children, nieces and nephews. John is preceded in death by his father, Samuel Leroy Hunsinger; mother, Catherine Rebecca (Wetzel) Hunsinger; two brothers, Paul Hunsinger and Leo Hunsinger; and one sister, Joanne Knelly.
