Robert Montgomery Bunnell of Marion passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, June 19, 2014 at the age of 95. He was born on June 10, 1919 in East Orange, New Jersey, the son of the late Alice Hazard (Ruton) Bunnell and Alfred Ranney Bunnell. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in engineering, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, the college glee club, and the varsity basketball team. He was enrolled in the ROTC program and graduated as second lieutenant. Later, he received a master’s degree in mathematics from Hofstra University and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Long Island University.
Upon graduation from college, he was ordered to active duty in World War II and was inducted into the US Army 566 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion attached to the 9th Tactical Air Command. He served in the European Theatre as a Captain.
After the war, he was employed by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company in New York City for five years. He was later employed by the Marine Division of the Sperry Gyroscope Corporation on Long Island, subsequently becoming the manager of the MacArthur Field facility. He remained at Sperry for 37 years. While living on Long Island, he was a member of the St. John’s Church choir in Cold Spring Harbor, the Kiwanis Club, and volunteered at the Vanderbilt Museum.
In 1993, he retired to Marion, Massachusetts with his wife, Elizabeth Ross (Whittaker) Bunnell, a native of Marion having spent many happy summers there. As a member of St. Gabriel’s Church he served on the vestry, the Missions Committee, and was a member of both the choral and handbell choirs. He was chairman of the Marion Elderly Housing Committee and a member of the town Water Subcommittee. He was an avid reader, bridge player and golf enthusiast and volunteered at the local soup kitchen.
He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years. He is survived by a daughter, Karen C. Bullock and her husband, Warren E. Bullock of Melville, NY, a daughter, Ann E. Bunnell of Hanover, NH, a son, Robert V. Bunnell of Marion, a granddaughter Sharon L. Klein and her husband, Jeremy R. Klein and great-grandson Warren J. Klein of Wantagh, NY, and a granddaughter, Melissa A. Bullock of Melville.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 28, 2014 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion, MA at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either St. Gabriel’s Church, P.O. Box 545, 124 Front Street, Marion, MA 02738 or Elizabeth Taber Library, 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.