Nov. 19. 1937 ~ March 2, 2024
Howard Edward Bunker of Bountiful, Utah passed away peacefully on March 2, 2024, surrounded by his wife and children.
Howard was born in Delta, Utah on November 19, 1937, to Vola and Glen Bunker, the oldest of five children. He spent his youth helping on his family's farms, mining with his dad and brother in Utah and Nevada and catching bobcats. In 1960 he joined the U.S. Army and served over three years, including two in Germany on a radio tower. He was a graduate of the University of Utah.
He met his wife, Julie Talbot Bunker, in 1973, and they were sealed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple, Manti, Utah, in March of 1974. They spent the next five decades together raising four children, white-water rafting with dear friends, skiing, and traveling the world. Our dad was a storyteller and regaled his family with fun stories from his youth, his time in the army, his many adventures, and stories from history.
He knew a little bit about everything, and loved to get people talking about what they knew. He was the first to sign up for a service project in the ward and always ready to help a neighbor or his kids. He was physically active all his life, spending his last few years swimming laps weekly.
One of his favorite hangouts was the Golden Years Senior Center in Bountiful. He loved spending a few hours there with his friends most weekday mornings, eating more than his share of donuts. His last month was spent at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
We are so appreciative of the many nurses and doctors who cared for him, some of them becoming dear friends to Howard and Julie. There were earthly angels taking care of him there, and his last few weeks were filled with special moments with his wife, children, and grandchildren. We are so grateful for the time we had with our dad. We will continue to tell his stories to our children, cheer on his Utah Utes, and remember him fondly, sneaking extra mints and macaroons in his pockets at restaurants.
Howard has joined his father, mother, and younger brother Doyle, as well as many close friends, on the other side.
He is remembered by his wife, his children: Kristen (Jayson) Uffens, Shaun Bunker, Megan (Russell) Wilding, and Hailey (Jeff) Dean, as well as 14 grandchildren who adored him, and his siblings: Merrill (Karen) Bunker, Shirley (Ray) Howell, and Dale Bunker.
Funeral services were held in the chapel at 2505 South Davis Boulevard, Bountiful, Utah, on Saturday, March 9. Friends and family gathered prior to the service. Interment with military honors will be at a future date at the Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park, Bluffdale, Utah. Obituary and video of the March 9. Funeral service will be available anytime by visiting the Lindquist Mortuary website: lindquistmortuary.com
