ROBERT GEORGE BUNDY

ROBERT GEORGE BUNDY January 25, 1923 - May 8, 2017 Robert (Bob) George Bundy, 94, of Toronto Ontario, died on Monday afternoon, in the comfort and serenity of the house that he built, with his wife and friend by his side. It was a beautiful and amazingly full life lived. Robert Bundy is survived by his loving wife and partner Waltraud (Trudy) (nee Gundlach) of 61 years with whom he married in 1956 and lived together in the home they built on Pine Crescent in Toronto, Ontario. He was the proud father of his five children Karl Sunter, Claire-Anne, Harry Brock, Stuart George and Derek Robert; daughters-in-law Kate, Susan, Sandy and Merces; loving grandfather to Harris, Hanna, Josh, Megan, Tyler, Casandra, Brock and Conor; and loving uncle to nieces Nancy, Susan, Cindy and Katherine and nephews Bruce and Chris (deceased). He was born to the late Harry and Claire (nee Sunter) Bundy, on January 25, 1923, on the kitchen table of their Woodfield Road home in Toronto, Ontario. He was the youngest brother of the late Norman and Kenneth. As a young man, he attended the Duke of Connaught Junior School and then Riverdale Collegiate Institute where he went on to become a star athlete, scholar and valedictorian obtaining the highest grade point average of any student at that time. His pursuit of higher education was interrupted in 1941 as he volunteered for Naval Officer training and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy at the age of 19. He went on to serve his country and become a decorated member of the Royal Navy as an officer onboard a number of destroyers as well as the aircraft carrier HMS Furious where in November 1944 he and the Furious participated in the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz. It was during one of his many North Sea convoy missions, supplying food and supplies to the starving Russian northern cities, when he was injured and subsequently decorated twice by the Russian Government first on March 22, 1995 and then again on August 13, 2015 by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he bestowed Robert Bundy the Ushakov Medal "...for personal courage and bravery". This honour was originally reserved only for Soviet war-time heroes. Following the war, he returned to Toronto and finished his studies at the University of Toronto obtaining his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Victoria College. Following university, he founded Bundy Construction and went on to develop, and build, many homes and sub-divisions in the City of Toronto. Based on his success as a builder, at the age of 35, he was asked by the City of Toronto to head the newly formed Parking Authority of Toronto which would become the commencement of a lifetime of service to the city and its region. His achievements are seen in all parts of our community; in the physical and natural infrastructure around us, in organizations that recognize Canada's sports elite and in numerous organizations that show respect for those who have contributed to our proud military and civil accomplishments. During his professional career with the City of Toronto he served as a member of the City Treasury Board and as Chairman of the Subway Development Committee. He became an acknowledged expert in parking and traffic matters and was elected President of the International Parking Institute in 1962. He was a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on traffic matters and served on related research councils in Washington DC and with the OECD. He dedicated many years of service to military and naval organizations that honour and support veterans and seafarers. He held numerous offices with the Naval Officers' Association of Canada, the Civic War Veterans' Association, the Toronto Brigantine and the Navy League of Canada and provided exemplary leadership, as recognized in the many honours that these organizations chose to bestow on him. In 1974, he returned from retirement to serve Toronto as the appointed Commissioner of Parks and Property. He oversaw the creation of some of Toronto's most loved parks and playing fields and the establishment of the network of bike and pedestrian paths to make Toronto's parklands more accessible to everyone. He also had responsibility for the sale and acquisition of public property and oversaw the construction of many needed facilities across the entire city. In addition to the work that he did to build our city, protect our green spaces, honour our veterans and maintain our proud military traditions he also made time to serve as the President of the Toronto Hunt, a Governor of the Hockey Hall of Fame for 15 years, as a Board Director of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for 16 years, as a Governor (and past Chair) of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for 20 years, and as a Director of the Canadian National Exhibition Association until a few years ago. On January 25, 2013, the City of Toronto formally recognized and acknowledged his outstanding and instrumental contributions in the conceptual development and execution of the Business Improvement Area ("BIA") initiative and "...for providing the plan behind the vision" for this dynamic program that addressed the economic issues arising from competition between neighbourhood merchants and suburban shopping malls. In 1985, he was asked by the Toronto Sun newspaper to write a weekly column entitled "First Class" which he did so for the next two years. He could be seen weekly in his study, typing on his early MacIntosh computer, reminiscing about grand trips, hotels, restaurants and events from his experiences around the world. His column's tagline was the moto of his life "Those that can Afford to Live First Class and don't...their Heirs will". He was a fiercely loyal friend who lived by a strict code of honour that is rarely seen, or understood, today. Those that were fortunate to be a beneficiary of his friendship were truly blessed and comforted. Nothing gave him more happiness and pleasure than being surrounded by his extended family whether it be a simple Sunday lunch at home on Pine Crescent, his daily lunch at his beloved Toronto Hunt Club or an exotic cruise somewhere in the world. If you were fortunate enough to attend a Bundy Christmas Eve, you were treated to the intimate black tie affairs with guests welcomed and entertained until the wee hours of Christmas morning. Anyone who ever met Robert George Bundy realized that they were in the presence of a very special human being, a true gentleman, a leader, a man guided by a profound sense of honour, loyalty and with a moral code that was indestructible to the end. After 94 years, his body may have given way but his legacy and his values shall endure. He was a rare breed of man that will be truly missed, but never forgotten. The family would like to especially thank Roger DeLeon for the care, compassion and love that he bestowed upon our father; and to the Rev'd David Mulholland who engaged him spiritually over the years in philosophical discourse and enlightenment. There is a special place in heaven reserved for Roger and Father David. The family will be celebrating the life of Robert George Bundy on Sunday, May 28th. Those wishing for additional details are requested to contact the family via email at: bundymemorial@gmail.com In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations can be made in the name of Robert George Bundy to: The Mission to Seafarers of Southern Ontario, C/O Rev'd David Mulholland, Pier 51, 8 Unwin Ave., Toronto, ON M5A 1A1, www.MTSSO.org