Kenneth David BUNKER

Kenneth David Bunker Aug. 3, 1959 to Dec. 30, 2011 Kenneth David Bunker was born in Graceville, Minnesota on August 3rd in the year 1959 to Joseph and Ethel Bunker. He was the eighth of eight children. His oldest brother David died at 2 weeks of age. Kenny joined his six other siblings: Sylvester, Eugene, Kathryn, Joseph, Ronald and Stanly and promptly established his spot as the baby of the family. When just a few months old he made the trip to Renton Washington by train in his mothers arms with his six siblings in tow. Dad greeted them at the station. The family settled in a suburb called President Park just days before Christmas and thus started their many years living in Renton. Kenny enjoyed those early years being the favorite son right behind Stan. Ha Ha! The family eventually moved to a house on Garden Avenue in downtown Renton and there Kenny enjoyed Liberty Park and spent many days floating down the Cedar River with his brothers on hot summer days. When the fish would bite Kenny was always there to accommodate them. With Longacres Race Track accessible by bike he sold papers and spent time around the horses. Thus his love for the sport of horse racing began. Ken attended Sartori Elementary, on to Dimmitt Jr. High and finished his education at Renton High School. At the ripe old age of 27 he married Julie Eisold and they made their first home in Kent Washington. Their first son, Grant, was born in 1991 with their second boy, Troy, making the scene two years later. Ken really enjoyed watching his boys grow up and become fine young men. He was always so proud of them both. He loved his boys more than anything and was a dedicated family man. Ken and Julie were married 25 years. When his youngest was age one Ken found out he had cancer and the fight for his life lasted 18 years. Ken enjoyed fishing, bird hunting, skiing, gardening and art. He was very creative and was a talented tile and stone installer specializing in custom construction and one-of- a kind projects. He always had home improvement projects going on at home usually involving something with a unique and creative twist. Ken always had such grand ideas. As owner of Independent Tile Stone, Ken sponsored many youth sports teams through Kent Parks and Recreation, especially basketball and soccer. He also coached baseball teams. He loved to cook and made a mean pot of chicken soup and dumplings. He decorated the boys' birthday cakes by copying the themed napkins and he took up artistic painting in his recent years. Ken had a passion for horse racing and handicapping. He bred, owned, and raced thoroughbred horses in Washington and Oregon. Ken really loved his horses. We all remember Mocha and Tarragon. In October of 2002 Ken and Julie bought a house on the Clearwater River in a little bedroom community called (believe it or not) Clearwater on the Pacific coast. They along with Julies dad and brother made many improvements to their house and they spent many a time there vacationing and just enjoying the solitude, the ocean and in general the many activities of the Pacific Rain Forest. Through the years they became an integral part of the community and Ken along with his family were loved. Ken was a member of the Clearwater Kalaloch Lions Club and cooked some mighty fine salmon for a couple years at the summer fund raiser Salmon Bake Picnic at Hurst Creek Park. Ken spent many a weekend mowing the grass at his place and instructing his boys on the finer art of lawn control. Rain made everything grow f-a-s-t. Ken had a great time fishing on the Clearwater River, high up in the hills at Yahoo Lake and occasionally surf fishing. He loved collecting crab, clams and smelt on the ocean beaches. His forays with his family in the Fall to their much coveted secret mushroom site was always a huge success as was his grouse hunting trips. One of the things he liked the most was sitting on his big front porch with coffee in hand and visiting with the neighbors as they walked by or stopped their cars for a friendly chat. One year the river flooded and the creek rose high enough to float his bridge over Schrodt Creek and deposit it on the other side of the creek. That bridge was just too heavy to haul back over the creek. Family managed to retrieve a foot bridge thus assuring access to the Clearwater River once again. Ken was a self-employed business owner for most of his adult years before being forced into retirement due to his illness. He loved traveling and 5th wheeling with his family to the Mardon Resort in eastern Washington and teaching his boys to fish and hunt before buying the Clearwater place. He always had a good sense of humor and a positive attitude. Ken had amazing fortitude and was never willing to give up on life even in the most dire of circumstances. He was inspirational in his outlook on life and passed those characteristics on to Julie, Grant and Troy. He will be missed. Celebration Of Life Services will be held on Saturday, January 14th, 2012 2:00 PM at the Pantera Lago Clubhouse 11436 SE 208th Kent, WA 98031

Celebration of Life

January 14, 2012, 2:00 pm