A.R. "Fred" Bunzli

October 17, 1927 – August 26, 2025.
Fred Bunzli died peacefully in his home in Inver Grove Heights, MN on August 26, 2025.
He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 68 years; children, Ann, John, Jim, Peggy (spouse Alysha), and Bill (spouse Deborah); and grandchildren, Alex, Zoe, Beckett, Xavier, and Joshua "Moss".
Fred was born in Lyon, France in 1927 to Swiss expats Richard and Anna Bünzli. When he was 3 years old, the family emigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fred grew up in BA, receiving a degree in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires. During that time, he also studied aviation and was licensed as a commercial pilot in 1951 and as a flight instructor in 1953.
Fred came to the US in 1954, first to Minneapolis, then to Chicago where he worked as a dispatcher for North Central Airlines (now Delta), and eventually to Cleveland where he began working for Lubrizol in petroleum additive sales. He still spoke English (his 4th language) with an accent when he arrived in the US.
In 1955, while travelling with a friend in Long Island, NY, he met Nancy Ann Ford. The couple married in 1957 and began a series of adventures together, raising five children and travelling extensively. Their honeymoon was a trip by Ocean Liner to Rio di Janeiro (Brazil) for his new posting. His work took Fred (and Nancy and their children) to Hamburg (Germany), Nassau (Bahamas), Madrid (Spain), and Cuernavaca (Mexico), as well as various places in the US. In 1976, Fred and family moved to Geneva (Switzerland), where they lived for 5 years before returning to the US for the final years of his career. Throughout his life, he continued to pick up languages, try new foods and drinks, widen his appreciation of music (he brought home some "unusual" records ) - fully appreciating the cultures he discovered along the way.
After retiring in 1990, Fred did not slow down. Late in his career, he had taken up sailing, earning his Captain's license. He and Nancy owned a series of sailboats between 1990 and 2014. They cruised the Gulf of Mexico, Florida's west coast, The Forida Keys, and made multiple crossing to the Bahamas. On most of these trips, Fred as Captain and Nancy as First Mate were the only crew.
Fred will be remembered by his family and friends as someone who enjoyed every moment, always ready for the next adventure. He was a reliable jokester and had an apt (if not entirely appropriate ) Swiss-German turn of phrase for any occasion. Most of all, he made time for family, visiting his kids and grandkids around the world well into his 90s.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations to one of the following organizations that promote sailing and dignity for all:
Minneapolis Sailing Center: https://sailmpls.org/donate
Sail to Prevail: https https://sailtoprevail.org/support/
Association for the Prevention of Torture: https://www.apt.ch/