Todd Alan Hundt, age 50, of Burnett, passed away on July 9, 2024, after a year-long battle with cancer.
Cancer is a thief, it robs us of our fondest memories of our loved ones. To the reader of this obituary, let’s take some of that back. Let us remember the man I was fortunate enough to call my brother.
Todd was born on July 14, 1973, to Glenn and Mary Hundt, also of Burnett. Todd was a quiet kid in some regards, introspective, a dreamer. He drew plans of forts, built model military aircraft with amazing detail and was fascinated with Bruce Lee. Summers would be spent with a minnow trap and a creek in our backyard, catching crawfish, minnows, and frogs. He always seemed to be asking mom, or grandpa, or whoever to take him (and sometimes me) fishing. It was the start of his life-long love of the outdoors.
Todd graduated from Waupun High in 1991. That same year he joined the Burnett Volunteer Fire Department, and served the department for just shy of 33 years. He worked at Walmart, Mayville Engineering Company (MEC), and Mercury Marine. Many coworkers became friends for life. These careers, they paid the bills, but it wasn’t what defined him.
To the reader, you need to understand this, my brother had three things he was extremely passionate about: the Fire Service, Emergency Medical Services, and Food. To try to capture it in these few paragraphs, well, it's a challenge, but try to indulge me.
When Todd joined the Department, something in him clicked. The prototypical fresh faced recruit in 1991, he found his home. His larger family. This group of people, that are there for others in their hour of need, this is where Todd belonged. He became a student of the science, immersing himself as much as he could to gain knowledge and share knowledge with his fellow firefighters. He rose through the ranks becoming a truck captain, and eventually becoming Assistant Chief before his passing. Todd’s fervor for firefighting and EMS was infectious, and it brought benefit to the local community and beyond.
Todd can claim many accomplishments, but one of the most amazing, he secured a FEMA grant for the Burnett Volunteer Fire Department. The grant was for a little over $150,000, a staggering amount for the Department. He continued his education, First Responder, EMT, and eventually Paramedic. When you talked to Todd about these things, you could feel his excitement and his depth of knowledge. He talked with pride about learning how to establish IVs and interning in hospitals. He held a special place in his heart for his graduating Paramedic class. He talked with many of them on a daily basis after school was long done, swapping stories of saves and misses.
Food, the last facet, can be simply put that if Todd hadn’t dedicated himself in so many other avenues, he was an incredible chef. Self-taught really, before the internet and Tik Tok videos, Todd watched PBS and in his teens was already building intricate meals. When we finally got cable and the Food Network, his creativity hit another level. I would often say that his leftovers were a million times better than my first overs. There was an intuition that he built around cooking that he just…cooked. He just felt it, and the meals were amazing. One of our last meals together was a seafood boil, mounds of crab, shrimp, and lobster. We gorged ourselves, and it was spectacular.
So now, well, he’s gone, kinda. Todd’s life touched so many that the reverberations of his work will continue to impact people in the local community and beyond for years to come. I have no doubt that if God allows, he’ll be there at every fire call he can, and he’ll be there, helping. It is who he is, and will continue to be.
In lieu of flowers (Todd…not really a flower guy), memorials can be made in Todd’s memory to the Burnett Volunteer Fire Department. Or, if you’d rather donate to your own local Department, that would be great too. Or better yet, maybe make that commitment to your community and join your local Volunteer FD. Keep Todd’s legacy of helping alive, any way you can.
Lastly, I think Todd would want to thank everyone that joined him in this fight. He knew he wasn’t alone in his struggle and it helped immensely.
Thanks goes out to Gene, Marc, Alesha and Rylin Miller. Another round of thanks goes out to Steve, Sue, Craig, Shelby, Lexus (Oscar), and Tristan (Emma) Miller. Many thanks to the Saegers; Mark, Dawn, Brandon, and Valerie. Thanks to Angel and Jason Imm and Morgan Schwoerer. Thanks to Robin, Finnley and Lincoln Hundt. Barney, thank you, you are simply the best. Thank you to everyone reached out and reconnected with Todd in one way or another. Thanks to the amazing care and hospice teams at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam. And finally, a special thanks to our Aunt Kris Hennig. You have his eternal gratitude.
There, I hope you have some small picture of the man that was a giant in my life. I will miss him every day henceforth. I love you brother.
There will be a celebration of Todd’s life on September 21, 2024, at the Burnett Fire Station 6228 West Main Street, Burnett, WI, from 12:00 P.M. noon to 4:00 P.M. Come there not to grieve, but to celebrate a man and the life he lived.
Saturday, September 21, 2024
12:00 - 4:00 pm (Central time)
Burnett Fire Station
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Starts at 2:00 pm (Central time)
Burnett Fire Station
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors