Exeter, NH: It is with great sadness that the family of Max Hurni announces his passing from a long battle with Parkinson's disease, on Wednesday, July 18 ^th , at the age of 93 years.

Max grew up in Luzern, Switzerland, graduated from business school and worked in his parents' china business until he immigrated to the United States in 1946.  He initially lived with his sponsor in Pennsylvania helping them manage their restaurant.  He later went off on his own to New York City where he started out as a cashier for a Child's Restaurant and worked his way up to manager, all the while working on starting his own import business on the side.  He met friends from Newburyport, Mass and eventually moved to the area, settling in Newbury.

On a trip back to Switzerland he met Bertha "Berteli" Ochsner at a hotel in Arosa where she worked and had her deliver his coffee the next morning.  He was smitten.  After a lot of letter writing back and forth they decided to marry.  He went back to Switzerland for the wedding and brought his bride back to the U.S. where they owned and operated Max Hurni Imports for over thirty-five years.  In the early years, Max would travel all over the country making sales calls on stores and, with his friendly nature and endearing sense of humor, he was often invited to dinner or to stay the night at vendors' homes with their families.  They later retired and moved to East Kingston, Hampstead and finally Exeter, NH.  Max was always a volunteer for many years, including treasurer of the Newbury Country Club and treasurer of their Windward Harbor condo association in Center Harbor, NH.  He also volunteered on various committees at Immaculate Conception Parish in Newburyport.  He was a professional member of the Ski Industries America Board for several years and the Newburyport Better Business Bureau.  He was a member of the Swiss Society of Boston since 1956 and for over fifty years he and Bertha would purchase and sell Swiss souvenirs at the annual Swiss Independence Day Picnic, donating all the proceeds to the Swiss Society.

He was an avid tennis player and skier and golfer in later years. In the early years in New York he often won the New York Ski Club races.  He often won tennis tournaments at the Ould Newbury Country Club.  He was also an incredible cook.  The food in the Hurni household was always fantastic.  He cooked his special spaghetti sauce yearly at his daughter's slumber birthday parties and for many years later, when he ran into one of the girls, they would tell him how much they missed his spaghetti.

He was a man who always contributed to the community and many causes and loved his family. His sense of humor never waned and he will be sorely missed.

Max leaves behind his loving wife of sixty-one years, Bertha, two sons and daughters-in-law, Phillip and Angie Hurni of Virginia Beach, VA and Michael and Ni  Hurni, of Annapolis, MD a daughter, Christina Hurni, of Atkinson, three siblings, Peter Hurni, Ernest Hurni and Sylvie Sikand, all of Switzerland and grandchildren Jacob, Sarah, Kristian and Grace Hurni.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Max's Life Celebration to be held on Tuesday, July 24. 2018 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Plaistow, NH. His funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 in Saint Anne's Church, Emerson Avenue, Hampstead. Burial will follow in Atkinson Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations are appreciated for either The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5045, Hagerstown, MD, 21741 or St. Anne's Parish, 26 Emerson Avenue, Hampstead, NH. To send a message of condolence to the family, please visit www.brooksidechapelfh.com