Tom Hunter dies at age 78

Tom Hunter, MFC, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at the age of 78.

Born October 30, 1947, Hunter 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, Mass., where he met his wife Annette.

Together the couple owned Clearwater Canvas Inc. in Belleair, Fla., and the two were longtime members of the Marine Fabricators Association (MFA). He earned the distinction of Master Fabric Craftsman in 2006.

Many considered Hunter to be one the “Founding Fathers” of the MFA. He served on the MFA advisory board from 2008 to 2015, including two years as chairman. Hunter also created the EZFrame software program—which is still being used in the industry today—authored the book Frame Design for Boat Tops.

“Tom was passionate about this industry and was a great man, with a big heart and an even bigger smile,” says Charlene Clark, IFM, co-owner of Signature CanvasMakers LLC and board member of the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) Board of Directors. “He was a mentor and a friend to many of us in this industry.”

Hunter is survived by Annette, his sister Karen Wheatley (Mike) of Princess Anne, MD; his nieces and nephew, Kim Bozman (Tim), Stacey McIntyre (Joe), Mike Wheatley (Megan) and Lauren Brittingham (Jody); many great-nieces and nephews; and many more loved ones.

A celebration of Hunter’s life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, from 3pm to sunset at the DoubleTree Hotel in North Redington Beach, Fla. Donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.