Ralph Bundy

Ralph Gordon Bundy, age 83, passed away Aug. 20, 2016, in Walled Lake, Mich. He was born on April 8, 1933, in Long Beach, Calif., to the late Dolores Dietz and Ralph Judkins. Ralph was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, and graduated from Huntington High School in 1949, at the age of 16. Ralph attended Marshall University (West Virginia) and Union College (New York), before serving overseas in the U.S. Army from 1953-1955. He returned from the service to Long Island, N.Y., where he met the love of his life, Mary Anne Forrest. They were married in 1956, and moved to upstate New York.

In 1965 he moved with his wife and four children to Michigan, to Pine Hill Lake, in Hanover and established himself as a builder in the Irish Hills. In 1970, he built his family home on Lake Columbia, in Brooklyn, which he maintained until 2010. In the early 1980s, Ralph and Mary Anne moved to Nashville, Tenn., where he supervised construction of several commercial real estate projects. After working briefly in Ohio, he returned to his lake home in Brooklyn in 1999, where he devoted much of his time to his beloved grandchildren.

Ralph and Mary Anne enjoyed spending winters with family in Naples, Fla., returning to Lake Columbia for the warmer seasons. He enjoyed lakefront living, especially in later years when he would cruise around the lake in his pontoon boat, often with grandchildren on board.  Known for his tremendous energy, Ralph continued to do projects for family, friends, and neighbors and delivered boats after his retirement.

Ralph is preceded into eternal rest by his wife of nearly 57 years, Mary Anne. He is survived by his children, to whom he imparted his love of reading, music and dancing: Valerie DeBaets, Andrea (Matt) Brusstar, Damon (Caryn) Bundy, Mary Elise (Tim) Maurais; grandchildren: Colin “CJ” DeBaets, Alex, Jacob & Nick Maurais, Adam & Luke Brusstar, Danae, Kayla, and Mary Elena Bundy; and sister: Joanne Amorin and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass was celebrated Aug. 27 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 830 S. Lafayette, in South Lyon. A graveside service will be held Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 at 1 p.m. at Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road, Holly, Mich.

Memorial contributions may be made to: National Alzheimer’s Association Alz.org.  See the online guestbook at www.phillipsfuneral.com.

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