About this episode

Hunter speaks with three individuals about their complex relationships with their fathers, exploring themes of love, loss, and legacy.

Hunter speaks with three people about their unique relationships with their fathers. Meet this week’s strangers: - William recently lost his father. William’s father, also named William, was a Marine Corps sergeant, a decorated combat Marine whose unit’s motto was “Retreat hell,” and later an attorney handling high‑profile, difficult cases, including immigration work. He grew up during Jim Crow in St. Louis, experiencing segregation and witnessing his own father, a World War II and Korean War veteran, being humiliated by police in the South; these experiences fueled an intense drive to be excellent at his work and “the best at whatever he did.” William considers his father to be his hero. William recounts the hospice experience, missing his father’s final moments, and then moving quickly into “problem solving mode” to arrange a military funeral, memorials, and a carefully crafted eulogy that honored his father’s career, impact, and the “weight of his attention” as a parent. - Gil had a complicated relationship with his recently deceased father. Gil’s father left the family when Gil was 10, pursuing a midlife crisis lifestyle of motorcycles, a Corvette, and a succession of…

People in this episode

Host: Hunter

Guests: William, Gil

Topics covered

• father-son relationships
• grief
• legacy
• family dynamics
• personal stories

More episodes of Stories from a Stranger

• S E18: Loving Yourself: Stories of Identity and Healing · September 7, 2026 · 43 min
• S E16: Learning to Belong: Immigrant Childhoods, Family Sacrifice, and Self-Discovery · August 24, 2026 · 33 min
• S E15: Falling in Love is Beyond My Control · August 17, 2026 · 42 min
• S E14: Still Thinking About Them: Stories of Love, Loss, and Legacy · August 10, 2026 · 42 min
• S E13: Lost Time, Found Compassion: Healing My Teenage Self · August 3, 2026 · 42 min
• S E12: Breaking the Cycle: Kids of Addicts Finding Healing and Hope · July 27, 2026 · 45 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Stories from a Stranger podcast page.