Howard Ray Bunker

Howard Ray Bunker left this world on December 14th, 2016, at the age of 95. He was born in Racine, WI on May 18th, 1921, to Charles and Ida Mae Bunker. As a boy, he was well known in Racine for his various antics, including joyriding in a “borrowed” Model-T on the frozen Root River. Howard had two siblings, Charles, Jr. and Charlotte, with whom he remained close until their deaths. At the age of 18, one day before Pearl Harbor, Howard enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and spent several years in Duxford, England, where he met, wooed, and won the heart of a young British girl, Vera Smith. After gambling away his entire wardrobe and all of his valuables in London, he bought a beautiful ring for her and a nice bottle of Scotch for his future father-in-law. They were married in the local church on June 24, 1944 and their first child, Alan, was born in Cambridge in 1945. In 1946, Howard was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps as a staff sergeant. He received multiple awards for his time in the military, including a distinguished unit badge and a good conduct medal. After the war ended, Howard and his family moved to San Francisco, where two more children, daughters Suzanne and Christine, were born, in 1949 and 1951. In the early1950s, the family relocated to Portland, OR, where Howard began work as an electronics repairman. He ended his working years at Sears. Howard continued this work well past retirement, tinkering in his basement with all sorts of old equipment and running the sound system at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church. Another daughter, Valerie, was born in 1959. Howard was a strong and loving man, with a great sense of humor. He was a devoted family man, whether it was being at his children’s plays or boat races, attending grandchildren’s choir concerts, or driving many miles to see a new baby. Howard was always there. He loved to camp and fish, travel, and read, and was a devoted member of his congregation. Howard had a beautiful singing voice and for years boasted that he was the ‘best alto’ in the church choir. In his senior years he rejoiced in playing the harmonica. Howard loved to flirt and to the end twinkled his eyes at the nurses and made them smile. He made delicious zucchini bread and fantastic strawberry waffles. Howard was incredibly proud of his service to his country. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, not to mention peppermint patties. He loved to laugh. He will be missed dearly by his children: Alan, Suzanne & Robert, Christine, Valerie & Butch, his grandchildren: Jessica & Dave, Garth & Anna, Amy, and Kelley, and his great-grandchildren: Lexis, Noah, Ramona, Eliza, Chloe, & Carson. Service Information