Larry Eugene Bunting II (Eugene)

The Bunting Family in Oklahoma (t.b.f.i.o.)

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Larry Eugene Bunting II (Eugene)

We sure miss our son and always will but he's up with Lord and that is GREAT!! Its hard to believe that six years have passed by, he's forever young at 17 years, 10 months, and 3 days. This year (2008) we finally got up enough courage to intern Eugene's ashes in Moore Cemetery. If you ever want to visit his stone its at Section A, Block 150, Lot 4. We really really really miss the special young man named Larry Eugene Bunting II

Larry Eugene Bunting II - On 29 April 2002 the Lord called our son home. Eugene drowned in a fast moving river, the area is called the Green River Gorge in Washington state, which is near Seattle. Eugene and three other friends had been making a extreme antics video for their senior class show. They had been making it all school year and this was the last segment. They grossly underestimated the river current and he got into the river and was pulled downstream by the swift current. He was just six weeks away from high school graduation. We love our son very much and will miss him greately but we know he is up with the Lord dancing and laughing and smiling. Please pray for our family, light a candle for our son, and leave the outside light on for him.

Larry Eugene Bunting II

Larry Eugene Bunting II, born in Oklahoma City, OK on June 26, 1984 was called to be with the Lord on April 29 2002. He was a lovely and loving son and brother. Eugene was a gift to the world and a lamp into every persons life he met. He was a senior at Fife High School and had already enlisted into the U.S. Air Force on the delayed enlistment program. Larry would have been an avionics technician working on the countrys most advanced bomber, the B-2. He was a unashamedly devout Christian and carried his Bible wherever he was and encouraged everyone to pray and accept Jesus. He was happy, exceptional, marvelous, hilarious, funny, cheery (beyond belief), outstanding and severely UNIQUE. He loved to eat everything and could tell the funniest stories about his own family. He always had a huge smile on his face and made everyone around him smile. We shall miss him more than words can describe. Eugene is survived by his parents Mr and Mrs Larry & Wilma Bunting; brother Samuel M.C. Bunting; sister Jocelyn A. Bunting; grandparents Ralph Bunting of Lakewood NJ, Delores McInterye of Lexington KY, Betty Simmons of Cleveland OH, Louis Brown of Cleveland OH; aunts Valerie Walston of Norfolk VA, Isabel Richmond of Cleveland OH, Patricia Smith of Baltimore MD, Brenda Thurmond of Lexington KY; uncles Ralph Bunting Jr., of Omaha NE, Louis (Buddy) Brown III of Cleveland OH; great aunt Dorothy Burton of Cleveland OH; great uncle Jesse Galloway; godparents Robert and Roberta Fuerbringer of Edmond OK; numerous cousins, friends, and special friends Alex Hill, Chris Dubois, and Kelly Marshall.

LARRY EUGENE BUNTING II "A friend to the world"
We miss you so very much son .......

Ode to Eugene (24 May 2002)
My oldest son went to be with the Lord on April 29, 2002. Nearly a month has passed by and it just doesn't seem real. My oldest son was such a shining star to our family, he was so funny, bright, warm and means so much to all of us. I loved him and will always love him with all of my heart. I miss him SO much and that adds so much to the unreal feelings. But this ode to Eugene isn't about how I feel with him being gone to heaven. Its about him!!

- He was my first born
- He always had a smile on his face
- He moved around with a purpose
- He was mischievous
- He was busy
- He was loving
- He loved the Lord
- He was smart
- He cared and loved so much about people
- He was always hungry
- He loved hamburgers
- He loved ice cream
- He loved to sleep while I was driving
- He loved stuffed animals
- He loved cartoons (a all world kid)
- He loved Transformers
- He loved video games
- He loved computers
- He loved to bathe
- He loved laying a big hoagie
- He loved his family
- He was and will ALWAYS be a friend to the world

He is the one and only incredible Eugene and he will be forever 17 years, ten months and three days young!!!

(Written by his father on May 24, 2002 while flying an Air Force mission in a AWACS aircraft at 31,000 feet somewhere in Northwestern U.S.)

From time to time I think of my son Eugene in so many different ways and scenarios and when I do try to write down my feelings.... First of all I want to thank God for letting us have him for nearly 18 years and second of all I MISS HIM so very much and without Gods grace I'd be way off my rocker and insane!!

Lately I'd been wondering about his last contacts with his immediate family. I was in Oklahoma City getting requalified on the E-3 but here's how his last day on this earth went. Before I get to that let me say I did talk to him on the phone the night before and we had a great talk and I told him how proud I was of him, doing the great things he was doing for Christ almighty and joining the Air Force. On April 29th, he got up perfectly normal and went to school and had a fun filled day. He went to track practice and then came home and dropped off his brother Sam. Sam was the last one in our family to see him alive on this earth (cause we will surely see him in heaven!!) He talked to his mom that day and saw his mom and sister in passing as mom was coming back from picking her up from school. Then he tried to go swimming and that didn't quite work out the way he had planned as he swam him way to the Lord.

I remember asking God for one more day with my son or even letting me have a lunch date with him but that was not to be. Sometimes....... sometimes I just can't make sense of it at all. Some days are worse than others, some days its just barely bearable cause he was a fine fine young fellow. We found out so many good GREAT things about him after he passed away. He was the most popular, most well liked person in school. He was such a soldier for Christ and just one fine fine wonderful young man. I'm here to tell anyone that reads this that you MUST put your faith in God almighty and he will see you through any horrible situation. We thank the Lord for the time with Eugene and look forward to joining him in heaven.

In the meantime we are here on earth... just hurting from time to time and staying in prayer to our heavenly father.

Larry E. Bunting
August 10, 2002

Crater Lake Oregon our last family trip TOGETHER

Eugene, Sam, Jocelyn Sept 2001

The following is what Jocelyn wrote about her life story (for a class in school) which is basically all about her beloved brother Larry Eugene Bunting II. Its in her words without the corrected spelling and was written in Nov 2002

My life story

By Jocelyn Bunting

The beginning of my life was all about my brother Larry. Larry was the oldest he was helpful, awesome, and the World Greatest to me!

My mom and dad use to tell me when I was first born Eugene (who is Larry) used to always want to do everything for me. He used to carry me, change my diaper, and feed me. Thats what my mom used to say. My dad used to say when my grandmom come to visit me, when I was still a baby, my brother Eugene said come see my baby sister grandma. That was my favorite thing he said.

Along down the road when I was about 6 or 7 my brother and I always hung out. Him and I, you couldnt separate us. In my family we have a middle child, Sam, Eugene and I always made him mad. We couldnt help it though. Eugene was 12 years old when he started telling me dont do drugs, drugs are bad. When Eugene and I went to 7eleven he would tell me to look in a certain area and go to a certain part of the store because he didnt want me looking at bad stuff to mess up your health.

When I was about 11 years old my brother was 15 yrs old. He would always be gone with his friends. I never saw him unless we went to church or have a family dinner. If my brother ever came home we would go to the mall and buy me clothes, or go to the movies. My brother always told me he loved me and be safe whatever I do.

Well everything changed when I was 13 and he, 17. My brother took me to school. He said he loved me like usual, I told him I loved and I shut the door to his car. He came to pick me up and my brother Sam too. In the afternoon it was a Monday. He dropped my brother, Sam and I off, but let me tell you something before we get to this part. My brother was a awesome Christian. He taught me right from wrong. He always said he loved me. He was funny never sad, never mad, he made people laugh very popular fellow. He also made a youth group or Bible study everyday before school started at his school.

Okay now, he dropped my brother Sam and I off at about 4:30 PM. He told me to tell mom, he would be back at 6:30 PM. Of course I told my mom, she said okay then. It passed 6:30 PM. I asked my mom where was Eugene at? She said I dont knoe. I asked my mom where did Eugene go she said to the Green River College to film something. I said oh okay. Well it takes a long time to get back to Federal Way from Green River anyways. Well me and mom went to go sit by the t.v. and watch a movie. My brother was in his room upstairs. The door bell rang. My mom answered it and there was a policeman, he said there has been an excident. It knew it was Eugene cause my dad was out of town. They said do you have a son named Larry, I said thats my brother, my mom almost couldnt breathe. The policeman said he was at the Green River Gorge doing a video for the senior class about extreme sports. He was going to swim across the Gorge the temperature of the water was below freezing. My brother swam halfway across and got swept away. It was Monday they couldnt find him till Friday. A rafter found him about 2 ½ miles down the river. He was found dead.

My brother Eugene made a difference in his life because of everything he did. He was amazing at school, he would let anybody sit at his table he would protect the kids at his school that couldnt protect themselves. He was just awesome. All the people who showed up at my house told me good things about him never negative.

Man I miss him but I just want to be like him and Im working my way to be.

Eugene just joined the Air Force that month and got excepted in the school of arts.

HE REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE!

Its April 29th 2007. Today marks five years since Eugene went to be with the Lord. Its a nice weather day here in Oklahoma, but something is missing and that's my son. I've missed my son for more than 1,800 days now. The wound in my chest still is open and it doesn't seem to want to close up. The fear and the lost are still there and I often wonder where would he be right now. Eugene was just the funniest, life loving young man you could ever meet. He was bright with a big smile and affectionate and warm and LOVING! He loved the Lord and loved to eat but most of all he was my son and meant so very much to me. He was my blessing from God and I'm so thankful to have had the time with him. One of my favorite rememberances of him was as an infant. You talk about bonding, he would lay on my chest and stick his ear on my heart and just listen to my heartbeat. Sometimes he would scrunch up around my chest to put his ear right on my heartbeat and then ... he would go to sleep. We were as close as a father and son could be and through his example of love and kindness and humor I'm able to smile most days. Because when I think of him I smile. I miss you so very much son and as each passing day goes by I know I'm getting closer to seeing you again. I love you so so so much my son - KEEP SMILING, KEEP GOD LAUGHING

December 6, 2008 - six years and eight months have gone by since Eugene has passed. I still struggle to keep the tears away when I think of him. Its just a different kind of ache but a ache regardless. This year I was up in Washington State, in August actually and went to his high school. Fife High School, the principal planted a tree in his honor about 4 years ago. I was delighted to see the tree was over 7 feet tall. Its near the curve of the track as Eugene was on the track team. That's all nice and good but I suppose I will never stop wondering what my son would be up to now??? Married with kids, getting out of the Air Force, staying in the Air Force, being a comedy guy, what what what I wonder. Would he be amazed to see a black President, sometimes I just wonder and the ache just ache more. That first born of mine was a all out GREAT young man. He did his work on earth bringing many folks to Christ and I'm sure Christ met him and welcomed him into heaven - there's nothing better than that but I'm still aching!!! Thank you Father God for the time we had Eugene with us but I KNOW he's in a better place. I miss you son, miss you a plenty!!