Hunter’s Stories

“Keeping the Memory of that Beautiful Boy Alive” from the Catto Family

“If you invited one boy over to the house, you would always end up with five or six. That’s how tight this group of boys was. They were always together, and we loved them all.”

That’s how Will Catto recalls his son Liam’s friendship with Hunter Watson and the other boys known as the Band of Brothers. During the boys’ junior year, Will took the whole group on a ski trip. He recalls, “I sat next to Hunter for the flight. I had the most wonderful time with that young man. We talked about music and the arts. It was really a treat for me to talk with him for a whole three hours.”

During an interview for this story, a tearful Kristina Catto recalled how Hunter’s death shattered their entire family. “We tried to talk about it as a family but the conversations felt sort of empty. You couldn’t say, ‘everything is going to be alright.’ You couldn’t say, ‘sometimes things just happen.’ Even as an adult, there was a nonsensical aspect to what had happened. In the end, being present for our kids and for Jerry and Judy was mostly what we could do.”

Like many who knew and loved Hunter Watson, being part of Hunter’s Fund has been healing for the Catto family. “We are so grateful to Jerry and Judy for keeping the memory of that beautiful boy alive and for helping all his friends. Jerry recognized how hard Hunter’s death would be for the boys and he took on the mantle of seeing them through this. Hunter’s Fund really has been a lifeline for the boys and for all of us.”

As artists themselves, Will and Kristina are deeply inspired by the mission of Hunter’s Fund. Kristina shared, “We’ve been fortunate to find work that we love. That’s what really interests us in these grants. They are trying to tap into young people’s passion and that is what gets you through life.”

Will and Kristina Catto began supporting Hunter’s Fund as part of their family’s healing. But they plan to continue supporting Hunter’s Fund because they believe in the power of creativity. They say investing in young people’s creativity gives them hope, especially in these challenging times.

William and Kristina Catto are very generous supporters of the Hunter’s Fund and the proud parents of four children. They live in Bethesda, MD.