Sixteen years ago, Gunnar Hotchkin lived in Naperville with his wife and their three children. He was a home builder, working to support his young family. But then the 2008 recession hit, and Gunna…
A raised garden bed sits outside the Daniels House on Naper Settlement’s museum campus as part of a living memorial created by Naperville nonprofit OLI Gardens in honor of local military members who died in active service and first responders killed in the line of duty. Sixteen years ago, Gunnar Hotchkin lived in Naperville with his wife and their three children. He was a home builder, working to support his young family. But then the 2008 recession hit, and Gunnar was left without a job.
Christine Hotchkin connected with OLI Gardens through its president and co-founder, Fred Greenwood. They knew each other through Greenwood’s wife, Dianne McGuire, former chairwoman of the Naperville Township Democratic Organization. Her son’s unit was sent to clear a road in Kunduz, Afghanistan, when the armored vehicle he was riding in hit a roadside bomb and flipped. Gunnar and another soldier were killed. Both were awarded Bronze Star medals posthumously.
He recalled Hotchkin telling him that “out of all the things that had been done for son, this was by far the best.”
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