Hall of Famer Jim Hunter’s adult daughter dies after fire drill

HERTFORD, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina say a fifth-grade teacher who was also the daughter of baseball star Jim “Catfish” Hunter died after falling ill during a school fire drill.

Perquimans County Schools assistant superintendent James Bunch tells The Virginian-Pilot that 45-year-old Kim Hunter Daugherty died Thursday morning of an undisclosed medical emergency at Hertford Grammar School.

Daugherty had taught for 20 years and was the daughter of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter, who played for the Oakland Athletics and was on five World Series-winning teams.

The newspaper reports Daugherty was the first girl in Perquimans County to play on the previously all-boy Little League teams.

Bunch said she was “a great teacher, a great colleague and she was loved.”

School was canceled that afternoon and counselors and ministers were made available.