Charles Lee "Bud" Bunch

Bunch, Charles "Bud", age 81, died on August 5, 2022. Bud was a native of Louisville, Kentucky and a member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Community. He was married to Iris Rosalyn Bland, his soulmate and loving wife for fifty-four years and the parents of three sons and two daughters. Bud was a graduate of Valley High School (1953), Bellarmine College (1961), University of Louisville (1964) and University of Michigan (1969).
He served in the U.S. Army Security Agency in Europe from 1954 to 1957. Later, he also served in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Indian Health Service in South Dakota, Michigan, Washington D.C., Arizona and California at which time he retired in 1985. Subsequently, he owned and operated a small corporation, New Beginnings of River City, Inc. comprised of three mental health and substance abuse centers and thirteen full or part-time employees and independent contractors. He fully retired in 2000.
Over the years, he was a member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus and was very active in the Secular Franciscan Order, St. Boniface Fraternity, as well as The Association of Mary. He volunteered at St. John's Day Center for the homeless, St. Anthony Soup Kitchen, Catholic Men's Fellowship of Greater Louisville and the Marian Center, the sponsor of pilgrimages to Medjugorje, which he credited with changing his life.
He eventually traveled to Medjugorje three times, the first when he was sixty, which he said transformed him gradually and irreversible from a Sunday Catholic into a person who loved Jesus and Mary with a deep love. His wife, "Butchie", was the most significant influence in his daily desire to reap the blessings and graces bestowed on a daily communicant. He said he was a "late bloomer" who learned late in life that the cliché, "God, family and friends", in that order are the most significant elements that give meaning to life. He prayer that God would give him the type of love embodied in 1Corinthians 13. He felt fortunate to have several ministries at church and especially grateful to the many priests at St. Bartholomew who graced his life with the Eucharist.
Bud had many close friends from high school, the military, college, St. Bartholomew Church and sports, the latter which he enjoyed throughout his life. He was active through grade school, high school, college and the military in various sports including baseball, basketball, football and cross country. He continued playing tennis in mid-seventies and golf in his eighties.
Bud was preceded in death by his 48 year old son, Shawn (2013) and his beloved wife Rosalyn "Butchie", who died at the age of 76 in 2015 after 54 years of marriage. He is survived by two sons, Brian Bunch (Joan) and Eric Bunch (Christa) and two daughters, Michelle Bunch and Dana Claycomb; eight grandchildren, Malinda Burt (Lucas), Jennifer Mitchell (Jeremy), Brian S. Bunch, Andrea Tuter (Rick), Ashley Smith (Chris), Greg Claycomb, Max Bunch and Sydney Bunch; seven great-grandchilden, Sophia, Henry, Luke, Vivian, Charlie, Carson, Clark and Jaden. Bud is also survived by a sister, JoAnne Greene and a brother, David Bunch. He loved and was very proud of his family.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10am Tuesday, August 9th, at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 2042 Buechel Bank Road, with visitation beginning at 9am prior to mass.
Instead of flowers, please say a prayer, especially the Divine Mercy Chaplet, for his soul. Any monetary gifts may be offered to Right to Life.