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Robert Terrell Bunnell

1939 - 2017

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Porter Loring Mortuary McCullough

1101 McCullough Ave.

San Antonio, Texas

Robert Bunnell Obituary

Robert Terrell Bunnell

San Antonio, TX

Died, April 23, 2017,

Porter Loring Funeral Home, 210-227-8221

Published by The Commercial Appeal on May 5, 2017.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A

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I served with your father, and mourn his passing. Thank you, Scott, for your words of tribute to the best CO of my Naval career.

floyd russell

Served In The Military Together

April 12, 2020

Dear Bunnell Family, From time to time over the last 20 years or so, I have looked your father up to see if I could find anything about him. I never did and was actually glad to not find an obituary as it meant to me that he was living a grand life somewhere. Sadly, today I thought of him and looked him up finding his obituary. Your dad/Diane's husband was my second commanding officer in the Navy at CSTSC, Mare Island, Vallejo. I was a young female ensign intimidated by the older officers and chiefs at my command, realizing that they probably had not served with many females and uncertain of their view of women in the military. When your dad replaced my first commanding officer, I was worried that he wouldn't like me as a young, female, inexperienced ensign and that he might be one of those crusty seasoned officers who resented women serving in the military. I needn't have worried. He was indeed crusty, but he treated everyone the same, with dignity and respect. Your dad was absolutely wonderful to me and everyone else at our command. I will never forget Diane and him asking me several times to house-sit their gorgeous on-base home for them while they were away. It was a special treat to stay in their big house by the bay for a week or so and get out of the BOQ where I was living. But I especially won't forget them spontaneously inviting my parents, who were visiting me from SC, and I to their home for dinner one evening. I still remember that evening very well. Captain Bunnell was a charming, larger than life character, and I respected him very much. I will never forget his kindness to me as a young Naval Officer far from my southern roots. I know he is now experiencing nothing but fair winds and following seas.

Miriam Watson Jones

Served In The Military Together

February 5, 2018

Diane, Scott, Jon and Julie, Vicky and I just received the notification of the Captain's passing. I listed myself as a 'Student' because 'Served in the Military Together' was not descriptive of the relationship. He was, among his many other roles, a Teacher. He constantly stressed that a leader and in particular, an officer's job was to take care of his men. He was a Grand Master at taking care of his crew, particularly a young ensign from Memphis. I will never forget him or you Diane, for how you received me into your home my first Thanksgiving on O'Callahan. I knew what family was but I'd never really 'knew' what family meant until you welcomed me into your home. For all that and more, I will be eternally grateful to all of you. Vicky, James, Valerie and I will keep all of you in our prayers. Fair Winds and Following Seas, God Bless! Jimmy and Vicky

Jimmy Mounce

Student

June 3, 2017

On March 8th, 1939, a young couple living just south of Memphis had a son. It was a Wednesday. Their names were Robert Grady and Nellie Bunnell. They named their son Robert as well. Robert Terrell was a southern boy. Loved his family, but didn't like getting up at 5 am to feed the pigs and cows. He
grew up on Horn Lake Rd in Mississippi. Born into a family of farmers, he read books about other places. His mother was a school secretary. Schooling was very important to the Bunnells.

He loved Auburn University in Alabama, but hated the Crimson Tide. The rivalry would live on in his head his entire life. He joined the Navy and left Memphis to explore the world. During the exploration of this very
different and new world, he found my mother Diane. They married.

Bob had two wives. One on land and the other The Sea. He was in and out of port continuously for decades always returning to home port. He was a Naval Officer and Commanding Officer at sea. Not so much at home. Once home he
became the Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Financial Officer, and Maintenance Officer. My mother was the Commanding Officer and demanded the best from her one-man crew. He always delivered.

We didn't take the usual family vacations. We saw things as a family during
duty station moves always driving in a station wagon loaded to the roof. He had duty assignments.

He made lists and was very organized.

One would not argue with him, because he knew. He just knew.

This wasn't on board a ship. He was at home. The duty assignments and
organized lists were for his children. He consistently threatened to take one of us to the wood shed. I found myself checking the backyard frequently to ensure that he had not built a wood shed when we weren't looking.

He was crusty. Hard-nosed. Boisterous. His shoes were spit shined and his uniform crisp. When he returned from Vietnam he would take long naps on the couch in the living room. We had a screen door and we would slam it just to watch him hit the floor. We got ushered to the wood shed frequently. He was strict and firm but as we grew older came to realize that he had a soft spot for his children. As long as they weren't messing up.

He had a strong sense of family sticking together but always gave enough slack in the chain to see if you could fly on your own.

He instilled several things into his children's upbringing. He taught us that we don't quit. We don't give up because it gets hard. He developed a
strong sense of competition in his kids. He taught his children to be survivors. When he met my Debbie for the first time he took her on a three hour tour of "His Command' on base. Why would that take so long.? I asked Debbie why it took so long. Debbie told me that he did show her the base,
but also sat her down and spoke to her about me. Run as fast as you can! Get away now! His son was a mess, on the rebound, and would break her heart, no doubt.

He had to know I would find out what he said. He always made things
difficult and more challenging. Not sure why, but she didn't run and he was grateful for that. He loved his daughter in laws, his grand kids, and the great grand baby that he was able to see. I think he loved Lt the most. That
dog was the only living thing that still listened to him when he talked. At least someone was listening to him complain.

His children went their separate ways, doing their own thing. He returned to Memphis with Diane and started a small business that kept both of them busy. One son lived in San Diego, a daughter lived in Seattle, and after leaving
the Navy myself, came to San Antonio. He was always pushing us to do better. Why haven't you promoted? You need to get your butt back in college! He enjoyed the successes in his family but he certainly had his way of voicing his displeasure. He always said if you don't do well in school you'll be
digging ditches for a living. Guess what pop?! The only ditch I ever dug was at the vacation house in West Virginia and your the one that told us to do it.

Once his health started deteriorating he needed to move once more; closer to
the children that he raised to put family first. I heard of several arguments within the family about the potential move. He wasn't about to leave his home in Memphis. Everyone looked at me to solve the problem. He will listen to you Scott everyone said. When you take on the lion you must
come prepared. I had been preparing for this my entire life, as the oldest son. I just didn't realize it until that time in our family's history. I will finally tell you my secret when I talk with my father. It's not that I was the oldest. It's not that he trusted my instincts so he just plain
listened. When you take on the lion. You must know his weakness. He had several. The worst weakness he had was for my mother. The conversation didn't last long but it was repeated several times for a few months: You have taken care of your wife for 52 years. Do not give up now by staying
in Memphis alone with her. You will become a handful and she will need help. Set her up in a new home, a new place, and make it perfect for her. She will be around family. You cannot fail her. Staying in Memphis only means that after your gone, you will never know what happened to the love of your live.
Well, he did just that. He moved to San Antonio and the house would be just like Diane wanted. Right down to the damn water softener and the landscape lighting. It always paid to know what was important to him. Always.

We had our secrets between the two of us and I will keep those only for me.
But I will share one. I had a bathroom project that I started 2 years ago and am still working on. When I went to the house to visit he wanted to see the next set of pictures I had taken of my project. I had a few. But the ones I showed him were of women in bikinis. He always said to me. It's coming along nicely. Built sturdy. Looks good. I always agreed with him. He
was a devoted husband but still a guy. It was the least I could do for the man who raised me. When he was in port.

He never was able to see the bathroom in person. But it instilled a sense of pride I'm sure. It encompassed electrical work, plumbing, flooring, tiling, moving A/C ducting and a few other things that he taught me. I look at it as the final exam he had to grade to make sure that I was paying
attention when he was instructing.

He gave the credit to my mother for raising the family as she did. But he
was there as a foundation. Solid, firm.

I discovered two catch phrases that worked on him and it would calm him down and allow him to relax knowing that whatever the problem was, it would be taken care of to his liking. He would call me with a problem or a needed repair and when I showed up to the house to make the repair he would tell me the problem in detail. My reply was always. "I've got this dad. It's under
control." He always let me handle his business, once I learned those two phrases.

The paramedics that tended to him last weekend were a former Navy Corpsman and a Marine. I'm sure he liked that. Those were his kind of people. . ..It may have even been planned. He's going to go to Arlington National Cemetery to be with his people, his shipmates, the other warriors that he served with. Yes he was a warrior, make no mistake about it. He loved his work, even under pressure. It was in his blood. In his genes. It was the way he
lived and he wouldn't have done anything different. I'm happy knowing that he lived out his retirement days without regret. Leaving the Navy was hard for him, this I am sure of. But when he did pull into home port,his wife, my mom was still waiting for him, leaving the sea behind.

Captain Robert Bunnell died on April 23rd, 2017 with his family around him.
It was a Sunday.


So for one last time. I've got this dad. It's under control. Relax. Just relax.

Robert Scott Bunnell

April 30, 2017

Jon, Debby and the Bunnell family, your FedEx family extends our deepest sympathy and our prayers are with you for your loss.

FedEx Team

Coworker

April 27, 2017

First a Boss, then a colleague. Always a friend. For over 50 years we have had the good fortune to be close to Diane, Bob and their children. We shared the good and the bad, and were stronger for both. God bless.
CAPT David B. & Barbara L. Dunlap

David B / Barbara L Dunlap

Family Friend

April 27, 2017

Jon I'm so sorry for your loss.

Terence TuckerDavis

Friend

April 26, 2017

All our love and sympathy to Diane, Julie, Jon and Scott. He was a giant of a man that was loved and will be truly missed. Will do our best to attend at Arlington.

John Birch

Family

April 26, 2017

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