Posted on 05/31/2015 9:13:36 AM PDT by golux
To the memory of Free Republic’s “Kenny Bunk.”
Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13, 1-2
Our FRiend Kenny Bunk passed away this weekend.
He had many compatriots and admirers here, and so I thought I would tell you a little more about him, in order that you might in a small way celebrate his life as I do.
Kenny knew the classics (or the western canon, generally) inside and out, and was a focused, passionate student of ancient and modern history. His raw knowledge and patriot’s heart allowed him to know himself and his world – our world – through a powerful trans-historical scope with ‘individual liberty’ at the center of the cross-hairs.
We all know patriots for whom these intellectual qualities, in the context of our general enslavement and dependence, result in a degree of constant personal misery. For Kenny they added a delightful depth to his natural levity. Kenny was very smart, and very, very funny.
Kenny loved people – individuals of all kinds – and loved making them happy. No matter if he was in a great hurry (or if his companions were!), he would always notice when someone else was having a bad day, engage them in any number of languages and across any racial or sociocultural boundary, and proceed to “fix.” Sometimes he helped them with a task, sometimes he complimented them or their work in some way, and sometimes he just plain entertained them in his quirky, gentlemanly, magnetic way, but he always succeeded.
How many checkout girls, waiters, attendants, and others who crossed his path he left smiling with their “days made” can never be counted. He did it all the time, every day. In white bucks and a blue blazer he would notice a yard worker was having problems with a mower, would walk over and share a few jokes in Spanish with the guy, then get on his knees and fix the thing.
Kenny Bunk could fix just about anything with materials on-hand, from a bad mood to a shattered mid-pressure oil line on the back of a diesel engine. This he did, in my presence, in jacket-and-tie, underway in the Chesapeake on a snowy, dressy, Christmas champagne cruise in mid-December. The oil line aft had simply shattered along a three inch section, and naturally there was no replacement of this peculiar part on the boat. So Kenny took the body of a metal pen, lined it with some high-temp rubber he deftly shaved off a fuel line, secured the whole business with an array of hose clamps, re-filled oil, started the engine and had another sip of champagne. He did MacGyver stuff like that all the time. I know, because we sailed many thousands of miles in and offshore, and enjoyed many dangerous and delightful adventures together.
I paint a picture of a very William F. Buckley sort of character. He was very much that in character and countenance; coincidentally as a younger man he took care of WFB’s (bowsprit-nosed) sailboat, CYRANO. I am pleased to imagine the Heavenly crew reunited in the cockpit over a decent “high church” whiskey.
Kenny Bunk was Christ-like in many ways. He did difficult good deeds daily, he loved God and prayed with some frequency, he was selfless generally, and joyfully, happily sacrificed much of his time and energies for others.
But he could also cuss at a truly super-human level. Somehow, a combination of Catholic schools, time turning wrenches, a lost love or two, world-travel including substantial time in the middle east, and hard knocks at sea turned this angel into a man capable of creating, in words, scenes so extraordinarily blasphemous, and so impossibly imaginative as to make the devil himself blush. Attempt to assist Kenny when he’s trying to crack a frozen lug-nut and you’ll soon be doubled over in tears of laughter!
Many is the time his zesty imagination and powerful mind left us wiping away tears.
You were part of the crew, too. You and Free Republic were an important part of his life. I hope you will pause for a moment in the next days to raise a glass to him.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
My dear friend
“Kenny Bunk” aka BIG FRANK
And may we meet again in His eternal Kingdom.
Beloved, you are faithful in all that you do for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to help them in a way worthy of God as they continue their journey. (3 Jn 1:5-6)
I second that.
oh, I am so sad. Kenny Bunk was a delight. And definitely one of the smartest I’ve dealt with here. We’ve lost a super FReeper. May his soul rest in peace.
He was a straight shooter about hot topic politically incorrect stuff
Like a southerner
He was a Yankee I liked here a lot
I just talked to him a few weeks ago
Man...I’m just stunned.
I was pinging him last week....I didn’t know
God bless him
Yep, you wardaddy, and Kenny Bunk were the two that I’d always send my PMs to, to share the gems that I’d found and see what you two thought. I have a collection of PMs from Kenny.
He was one of the funniest writers here and I always got a smile from his posts. I’ll miss that.
Golux called him a “rebel Yankee, if there ever was one”. A high compliment indeed.
Me either
He understood where we are
Was it something sudden
I didn’t know he was ill
He would have told you just as I will: Kenny started having trouble breathing about five years ago. At first the issue was slight - only noticeable when he was exerting himself physically over a long period - but then it got worse and worse. He had already had some heart problems. I suspect as he did that many thousands of hours in engine compartments of one kind or another and his general “sensitization” if that is the word (we used it) to Diesel and other fumes may have been a part of it. In the end, the breathing got worse and worse, and exacerbated the dangers of an otherwise rarely-fatal procedure. He expired consciously, prayerfully, fast, with friends and family, and in otherwise good health: Kenny was fit, slim, handsome, (very attractive to women even in late middle age,) and took care of his body and mind.
Thanks, golux. I’d been wondering too since Kenny never mentioned any ill health that I’d noticed. I sometimes tried to get a fix on Kenny’s age from the stories we’d swap- mid 70s was my guess. It’s not a surprise that a raconteur of his skill would still have been attracting the babes! You’ll have to share more Kenny stories if you want.
Your beautiful elegy brought tears. He was, indeed, one of the finest conversationalists on this forum. Thank you for a glimpse of Frank in real life. I am so very sorry for your loss. May God enfold him, and comfort all his loved ones left behind.
RIP.
A wonderful tribute golux. Wonderful.
I will miss his rapier wit. A delightful poster. May God keep his soul.
Enough FReepers have gone before, good Ones, there must be quite a contingent up there, to fraternize with.
I enjoyed reading your description of KennnyBunk. I hope to see him on the memorial wall soon.
http://www.freerepublic.com/memorial/memorial.htm
this is a wonderful way to see our great Freepers who have passed on.
I’m sorry to hear this, a really nice guy.
Prayers and condolences to his family and friends.
RIP KB.
What a beautiful tribute.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Big Frank, and our prayers are with your loved ones.
Beautiful eulogy.
RIP dear Kenny Bunk. Your posts were insightful and very witty. You were one of my favorite FReepers.
I will miss you!
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
I knew him only as my fellow FReeper and pal, Kenny Bunk. That does not mean that I will not miss him, nor be amazed when I sometimes remember him at the oddest time, the recollection triggered by the oddest thing.
I recall the time that I first remember crossing words with him here, years ago; another FReepoer was looking for an assist, and he thought I might be the guy who could manage that. He may have had an opinion of me a notch or two too high, but I'll try to live up to it.
See ya around, pal.
-archy-/-
Oh, thank you. I miss him so much!
Condolences to you and yours. Sailors are an intimate breed. I was speaking to our resident Travis McGee today. He is out being the sailor that he is. I’ll let him know.
RIP
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