1941 ~ 2016
After a brief battle with cancer, William “Bill” Bunch passed away December 16 at the Carson Tahoe Hospital surrounded by his family.
Bill was born in Oklahoma in June 1941 to John and Era Bunch. After his father returned from fighting in World War II, they would spend some time in southern California before settling in Hawthorne, Nevada., where he would later graduate high school. It was there that he met and married his high school sweetheart, Kathryn ‘Kay’ Selbig.
Bill worked at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Hawthorne until 1979, when he relocated to Oregon, as the base was transferred to the Army and subsequently contractors. He retired from the Umatilla Army Depot in 1988, and returned to Nevada, settling in Carson City.
While waiting for his wife to retire, he worked for 3 years driving throughout the United States delivering and picking up medical eye lasers for a local company. He worked at Carson High School for several years before retiring completely.
While in Hawthorne, Bill was active in the Civil Air Patrol, Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, and was an emergency medical technician. When he and Kay returned to Carson City, he helped his wife wrangle a garage full of Girl Scout cookies for many years as she was the Valley’s Girl Scout Cookie Manager.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Michael Dale.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kathryn, daughters Robin Sweet (Sonny) of Carson City and Tamara Bunch of Hawthorne, and son Russell (Robin) of Sandy, Oregon. He also leaves behind two brothers Glenn (Marlene) Bunch of Hawthorne and John (Bonnie) Bunch of Reno. He is survived by eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss him.
Services will be held in the new year.
Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department (PO Box 1095, Hawthorne, NV 89415).
