UPDATED: A service for Merv Hunter is being held Saturday, Oct. 10 in Langley.
Merv Hunter, a long-time Langley City volunteer fire chief and City councillor, died recently. He was 88.
Hunter was the chief of the Langley City fire department from 1966 to 1972, when it was an entirely volunteer service.
Jim McGregor, who would become a chief himself, recalled that the firehall was just around the corner from Hunter’s sheet metal business.
“Merv was always great with the young guys,” McGregor said. He started his career as a firefighter under Hunter, and remembered that the chief always stressed safety.
Back in the 1960s, the City department typically had a dozen or so calls even in a busy year.
Hunter retired from his job as chief when he was elected as a City alderman in ’72, a title later changed to councillor. Hunter would remain on council until he stepped down in 1990.
When McGregor became chief and took requests for new firefighting equipment to City council, he found Hunter was always the one who asked the most questions and made certain the department had done its homework. He took his role on council as seriously as he had taken his job as fire chief, McGregor said.
He also served on other local groups such as the Langley Memorial Hospital board.
“A good man, a good teacher, a good trainer, a good mentor,” McGregor said. “Always building the community in one way or another.”
A service will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. at Harrison Pointe, 21616 52nd Ave., a seniors facility that he and his wife Marg recently moved into.
