George R. Bunda Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

George R. Bunda, 90, passed away on Monday, June 20, 2022 in Marietta, GA. A Funeral Mass will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 24th at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church and live streamed at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YkEKRxLAMSM. Inurnment will be at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven, FL at a later date. George was born June 16th, 1932 in Chicago, IL. He was born and raised Catholic and grew up on the southside, graduating from Loyola University, at age 20. He was drafted into the Army and served stateside during the Korean War. His love affair with Rita started in 1950 and they were married June 27th, 1953. They raised five children in Cary, IL and were longtime members of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. George was very proud of his family and enjoyed watching his family grow… the five children all married and gave him 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Family reunions were an annual event. His business career in Chicago focused on the food industry, where he worked in purchasing. He was an innovator when it came to sales programs and rebates. Anyone who visited their home during these years was treated to all kinds of goodies he would receive as perks of the trade. Trick or treating at the Bunda house was a highlight in the neighborhood. He was a “foodie” before people ever coined the phrase. Wine was one of his daily pleasures. He loved his hot food HOT. George owned the first microwave in their neighborhood and continued to use it for every meal. He would call out how many seconds a food should be reheated as if calling out the plays for a football game. The second half of his career took George and Rita to Florida, where he transitioned into sales in the orange juice business. George referred to his home in Winter Haven as “Paradise”. They were members of St. Matthews Catholic Church, where he was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and served on the Columbarium Committee. In retirement, he remained very active, driving and delivering for Meals on Wheels and working on the pineapple plants and banana trees in his yard. To George, his most important job in life was to take care of Rita. They were able to live in that home and “care for each other“ until February of this year when they moved to Marietta, GA to live closer to one of their children. George and Rita enjoyed traveling the world together. Their last big trip was to the Holy Land. George turned 90 years old last week. This birthday was extra special to him, as turning 90 was a major goal in his life. He celebrated surrounded by family and enjoying his favorite foods. George will be remembered by his family and friends for his service to God, his family and his communities. Mr. Bunda is survived by his loving wife, Rita B. Bunda; children, Karen Becker (Michael), Kathee Martin (Rick), David Bunda (Chris), Sandra Kohlhase (Robert) and James Bunda (Susan); grandchildren, Lynn Justinger (Aaron), Lucas Martin (Courtney), Brett Martin (Sandra), Nicole Randall (Bryce), Matthew Bunda, Michael Bunda, Marcus Bunda, Jason Carpenter, Stephen Kohlhase (Dr. Jennifer Chu), Anna Minrovic (Bryan), Daniel Kohlhase (Katherine Taylor), Geoffrey Kohlhase (Alexandra), Alexander Bunda and Casey Howse (Trevor); great grandchildren, Norah, Anthony and Holly Justinger; Mckenzie, Sydnee and Lucas Martin; Alyrica, Christian and Tristian Martin; Kinsley Minrovic and Griffin Kohlhase. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association at: https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/

George R. Bunda

June 16, 1932 - June 20, 2022