Cliff Hunter, adventurous transgender advocate and volunteer, has died at 88

Cliff Hunter, 88, of Philadelphia, an adventurous transgender advocate and volunteer, died Tuesday, March 19, of heart and respiratory failure at Liberty Pointe health care center in Doylestown.

Born in Torrington, Conn., Mr. Hunter began to embrace his gender identity in 1996 when he lived in California. After moving to Philadelphia in 2013, he advocated locally for transgender men and women and volunteered often to assist others at Action Wellness, the Mazzoni Center, Philly AIDS Thrift, and elsewhere in the city and South Jersey.

He was a friendly and energetic handyman in his Point Breeze neighborhood for years, and his family noted his “exuberant personality” and “can-do spirit” in a tribute. He had his own tools, had worked construction jobs earlier, and was hired for all sorts of fix-it jobs in South Philadelphia.

He told his sister, Joyce Wilson, and her husband, Len, that he felt seen, heard, and welcomed by friends and colleagues in Philadelphia. A social worker, a judge, other volunteers, and neighbors told the Wilsons how deeply Mr. Hunter impacted them.

“People felt such affection and care for him,” his sister said. “He made friends every day of his life.” His brother-in-law said: “He made others comfortable. He blossomed here.”

Mr. Hunter worked at the post office and elsewhere over the years. He was an exceptional gardener and dancer, and especially active with the Independence Squares dance group.

» READ MORE: Anonymous angel mails Mr. Hunter's Christmas gift left behind

He was featured in a 2014 article in The Inquirer about a stranger finding his Christmas gift for his sister on a SEPTA bus and spending $8 to mail it to her in Florida. “Somebody was really, really in the Christmas spirit to send it,” Mr. Hunter told The Inquirer. “They’re a generous, warm, caring person.”

He lived in California for 47 years, from 1965 to 2012, and spent 2012 near Tampa, Fla., before moving to 22nd Street in South Philly. He roamed the wilds of California for decades, hiking and camping, and riding with motorcycle groups on desert roads and seaside highways.

In 1993, he rode his motorcycle from Oakland to Philadelphia for a family wedding, stopped by an LGBTQ march in Washington on the way, and checked in at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota on the way back. Yosemite National Park, with its majestic waterfalls and giant sequoia trees, was one of his favorite campgrounds.

“I have always admired your adventurous spirit,” his great-nephew Andrew wrote in a tribute, “and your strength through moments of adversity.”

The oldest of three, Mr. Hunter was born Nov. 19, 1935. He grew up on a small farm in Long Island, N.Y., and liked to write and read science fiction. He left school before graduation but returned later to earn a General Educational Development certificate.

He was married and divorced three times and had son Wayne as a teenager. He liked to play cards and crochet, and was a natural-born group leader, his sister said.

He adopted stray animals wherever he lived and took writing classes and other educational courses in California. His brother-in-law said he was a good listener, and “he knew how to smile.”

He was attentive to current events and, although generally quiet and introspective, shared some of his personal thoughts about life and identity with his family. “We came to a better understanding,” his brother-in-law said. “Now I understood.”

His sister said: “He was a very giving person.”

In addition to his sister, son, and brother-in-law, Mr. Hunter is survived by other relatives. A sister died earlier.

A celebration of his life was held earlier.

Donations in his name may be made to Action Wellness, 1216 Arch St., Sixth Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107; Philly AIDS Thrift, 710 S. Fifth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; and the Mazzoni Center, 1348 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147.