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The following obituary was provided by Bill's wife, Jayne:
WILLIAM PROCTOR BUNCE
“BILL”
February 26, 1946 – February 13, 2021
Bill was born on February 26, 1946 in Evanston, IL to Thelma and Robert Bunce. He attended College Hill Elementary School and later graduated in 1964 from Evanston Township H.S. in Evanston, IL, where he played Sousaphone in the marching band and swam competitively for the Wildkits. There he made many life-long friends, participating and volunteering in several reunions over the years.
After high school, he attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH on a swimming scholarship. He also played intramural lacrosse and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, where he created many lasting friendships and memories. While at BGSU he married his first wife, Cheri Krudwig, and had his first son, Eric, in 1971.
After college graduation in 1968 (BA Psychology), Bill worked for IBM in Chicago in Sales and Marketing and began a long, successful career with various technology-related companies. In 1982 Bill married Jayne Klebau and 2 days later moved to London to work for Datapoint Corporation as their Director of International Marketing, working in over 15 countries. He was 36 at the time. Over the years he won numerous performance awards that allowed him to continue to travel and enjoy the cultures of the world.
They moved back to Chicago until 2001 when, with their younger son, David, they moved to Alamo CA in the SF Bay Area, realizing a life-long dream.
Bill was the consummate host, loving any occasion to invite family and friends to share in his life and its celebrations, whether it was the annual family Thanksgiving dinner or a Christmas party with friends or the weekly “Cocktails on the Court” with Alamo neighbors or fundraising with Jayne for Northwestern Hospital. In the early 1980s he bought a house for his mother, Thelma, on Lake Kegonsa near Madison WI, where he, Jayne and Thelma hosted many weekends with family and friends, water skiing, sailing, and tubing. He was a patient ski instructor and wicked crack-the whip helmsman. (Bill always looked great, whether in a lake-soaked t-shirt or his tuxedo.) He was a wonderful son, generous husband and friend, and a loving father and grandfather ‘Papa’.
Bill lived life to its fullest, always lit up a room, thoroughly enjoyed outdoor activities (sailing, snow skiing, golfing, hiking, swimming, maybe running, horseshoes, and leading Boy Scouts) and loved deep dish pizza, fine wines, bratwurst, BMWs, the Chicago White Sox, music ranging from the Rolling Stones to Handel’s Messiah, European travel, playing the piano by ear, and, yes, playing the comb. He was prompt and kind and a man of integrity.
Bill also was a man of faith and actively participated at First Presbyterian Church of Evanston where he was a Steven’s Minister and later at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, CA where he was engaged in various bible studies. He and Eric also coached David’s teams in Upward Basketball, a Christian league for young players. He shared his gifts of the fruit of the spirit with everyone.
It was a crushing blow when Bill suffered a severe stroke in 2010 that left him incapacitated in many ways. But through those difficult times, he kept his sense of humor and love of God. He passed peacefully in his sleep in St. Petersburg, FL on February 13, 2021, days before his 75th birthday. Bill is survived by his wife, Jayne of Walnut Creek CA, sons Eric (Robin) Bunce of St. Petersburg FL and David Bunce of Walnut Creek, granddaughter Jordan, brother Robert (Bonnie) Bunce and many cherished extended family and friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Bill Bunce on March 28, 2021 at 1:00 PM Pacific time (11 AM Chicago time). Please click on the following link in order to register for the event and to obtain the Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlc-usrjkiE9yUdxCd57g4ev5gyWDlxwvC
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Eric Barinholtz
I typically don't post comments ,occassionaly I'll send a personal Happy Birthday out to some of you..Today is different, Bill was a big part of my early years and I'm tearful today.."Bunce" as I called him was part of the bunch I grew up with in the late 50's. It was Bill and Wally and Dorio,Schwartz, Saberson , Deerfield, Elvert.,etc..who I hung out with for Friday night basketball games in Beardsley, Y Club adventures, Beef sandwiches at the Villa Girgente on Paulina Street ,Summer nights at Rivinia and other things that youg boys like to brag about but really never do. We stayed in touch as we got older and I was very lucky to spend time with him at the past reunion.I'll miss him.I realize how lucky I've been to last this long and to have had a friend like Bill and to have been surrounded by all my classmates. Best to All...
Kathy Dalgety (Miehls)
Nice tribute, Eric, about Bill Bunce. Friends need to be remembered because then they live on in our hearts. I'm glad you shared your thoughts with all of us.
Roger Dorio
I guess as we get older there is less good news and more bad - losing Bill is more than bad probably close to devastating. As Eric,Jeff and others have put it so well, Bill was a great guy and a great friend. Part of a crew that grew up within 1/2 a block from each other Bill, Wally,) David Lee(Loyola)-and later Jeff who put it so well " we were young and stupid " but who knew how successful all would be though yours truly was lucky to eke out a living to everyone's amazement as a teacher and coach. What I remember best was the nicknames- Bill was Bubbas- Wally (Dough)from Waldo- Eric was Barron- Jeff "Sol" Ralph Hoot- Jim Deerfield was Derf, Lee Saberson Sabe,Mike Hovsepion Hosep, and mine was inexplicably "Brutus" or Brute hung on me by Derf during Sophomore English Julius Casear. Sorry if I left anyone out. Boy the memories come flooding back and I am sorry to ramble on. Bill will be missed by all.
Pamela Beall (Art)
So sorry to hear this news. Heartfelt condolences to Jayne and their 'boys'. I remember having so much fun hanging out with Bill and his buddies. It's uplifting to see so many people post here. I'm glad we saw him at the last reunion and we will definitely miss him at the next! A life well lived!
Gale Glassner (Twersky)
Although I was not a "close" friend of Bill, I knew him, liked him and always considered him such a nice guy. Not only did his clothes suggest that he was a gentleman, (as someone earlier posted here), his whole persona identified him as a real gentleman. I am sending my heartfelt sympathies to his wife, family and to alll the people who were lucky to be part of his life.
Toni Schlesinger
Bill Bunce was the best - in every way
The most normal boy friend I ever had. My first boy friend! 1963 !
I remember great things about his mother -- a great mother is VERY important as we know.
Joan Novinson Nicholson emailed me remembering that I told her that he and i went on date "downtown" and had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and coffee. i wish i remembered that date. sounded fun!!!
I haven't seen or talked to him since high school because he was not initially active with all the reunions but he was at the 55th which i was not at -- only the 50th--.
when i saw his wife's name --Jayne Bunce -- she is lovely! -- i looked her up on facebook and wrote a message. (fbk message is rather cheesy way to communicate about a death but i was moving quickly. and i could not post anything on this site because i forgot my password and my passwords are a jumble (between google and cloud --too boring to go in to). But Fred taught me how to change my eths password and I did.
Hello to everyone!
Toni schlesinger.toni@gmail.com or toni@tonischlesinger.com
Fred Brostoff
Jayne Bunce has advised that there will be a memorial service honoring Bill Bunce on March 28th at 1 PM PST (3 PM Chicago time)...and that the service may be viewed via Zoom. We will post the Zoom link as soon as it is available.
Karen Kaz
That would be appreciated!
Marty Campbell
i knew Bill as Bunce, as a fellow jock among jocks, i guess is how i see it looking back from here. i did not know him well, i knew him as a good man and a fun being. ¶i have registerred and plan to attend Bill Bunce's zoom Celebration of Life, in solidarity with the many classmates i knew and know better than he, who knew him better than i did. i infact see it as a rare opportunity to be with by zoom many classmates dear to me across thuh world, including Bill himself. ¶ if there is a limit reached on how many may register, i would like my registration to be stricken to make room for others closer to Bill. ¶ please let me know if my reason for registration sounds too odd for a Celebration of Life.
Bonnie Robinson
I also remember Bill as being a really nice guy and someone who was very easy to talk with. While we wern't close, we never passed each other in the halls of ETHS without exchanging some words.
Ir'a not surprising that his life was filled with so many successes and accomplishments and so much happiness! I send my most sincer condolences to his lovely wife and family and know that Bill is RIP forever!