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)
Thank you. I will and I will miss his wit, experienced insights and quotable comments.
We have lost, but Heaven has gained. I raise my eyes and my glass to that Heavenly reunion...RIP, Big Frank.
I once shared with KB a time when I meet a guy from Maine. I asked him “Have ya lived here all your life?” and simply replied “Not yet.” We had a good laugh and I will always remember that dry sense of humor Kenny Bunk had but with a twist of whit. See ya in fishing boat on the other side buddy...
By an odd coincidence, my wife and I are headed up to Kennebunkport (only village in the world so-named) tomorrow. I had recently thought of him because of that.
RIP Prayers Up!
I’m so sorry to learn of KennyBunk’s passing. Sympathies to all his family and close friends.
Never met him, but it sounds like he was a wonderful guy.
....RIP
I, too, enjoyed reading the things he wrote. We need more than “Bush’s fault”, “Obama’s fault”, Helen Thomas photos and the like to have a meaningful FR. KB will be missed.
I am so sorry to hear this. He was one of the best. May he rest in peace.
RIP Kenny Bunk. Condolences to your family. A good man.
Amen.
Very thoughtful remembrance.
RIP Kenny Bunk...
I bonded instantly with KB because my family goes back to the early 1600’s near Bath, Maine on the Kennebec River and your Maine story is typical of my relatives!
I figured KB HAD to be familiar with or tied to Maine in some way...
I was always curious about this: Did the screen name "Kenny Bunk" drive from his geographical location, or was there something more subtle about it?
Oh man, I’m sorry to hear this!
Prayers going up for his family!
Rest in peace , Kenny bunk!
Beautiful tribute to a good man - - I’ll miss him. He’s part of freeper lore now... may he enjoy the next phase of his life...
RIP.
RIP. Condolences to his family and friends.
:( We have talked.Always saw him on a sail boat.Nice man Kenny Bunk.God bless him and Eternal rest.Thanks Golux for his background.Makes him feel closer.((((Hugs))))
:(
RIP
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