Kenneth D. Bunkowski, age 86, of
Perham
,
MN
, passed away
Saturday, October 25, 2008
, at
Sunrise
Living
Center
,
Golden Valley
,
MN
.
Kenneth Donald Bunkowski was born
May 21, 1922
, in
Casselton
,
ND
, the son of William and Emma (Panter) Bunkowski. He was raised near Casselton and also
Spruce
Grove
Township
in
Minnesota
. Ken served in the Coast Guard from 1941-44. He began his career in Evergreen, MN, as a welder, a gift that he shared with numerous individuals over a period of years. On
July 18, 1945
, in
St. Paul
’s Church in Evergreen, he was united in marriage to Wilma Roberts. After moving to North Carolina from Minneapolis in 1959, he joined American Cyanamid in 1966 and remained with that company until he retired in 1985 when he returned to Perham, MN. His philosophies of ‘never meeting a stranger’ and ‘seeing the best in everyone’ he met were ones he carried with him wherever he went and made him many lifelong friends. These gifts allowed him to succeed where others failed. Although Ken had the opportunity for only a limited education, as far as many were concerned he had a Doctorate of Philosophy in Life. One of Ken’s goals was to never stop learning. With that philosophy, coupled with a keen curiosity, he accomplished a great deal during his 86 years and he enjoyed his life.
After retirement, Ken spent many happy hours fishing on Big Pine and Wolf Lake with family and close friends, as well as consulting with former work colleagues in order to stay in tough with friends and do the work he loved. Ken relished the traveling that he was privileged to do; from
Japan
to
China
to
Costa Rica
. But he especially enjoyed the traveling that he did with his beloved wife, Wilma, throughout the
United States
; from the bayous of
Louisiana
and the shores of
Galveston
,
TX
, to the hills of
Missouri
and the coastline and
desert
of
California
. Ken and Wilma were life partners who shared a love of travel by spending many happy hours on the road visiting friends and family as well as traveling to
Honolulu
,
HI
, to celebrate their 50
th
wedding anniversary.
Ken is survived by his wife of 63 years, Wilma; son, Kenneth (Karen) Bunkowski, Jr., Salt Lake City, UT; and daughter, Diana Valentine, Minneapolis, MN; four grandchildren, Lisa (David) Caudill, Seattle, WA; Karen Grizzell, Cincinnati, OH; Matthew Bunkowski, Mauritius; and Emma Katherine Valentine, Minneapolis, MN; two great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
Preceding Ken in death are his parents, William and Emma Katherine and brother, Ferdinand.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to
St. Paul
’s
Lutheran
Church
and School in
Perham
,
MN
.
