Edmund Bunn
June 4th, 1931 - Sunday, April 29th, 2018

Edmund Robert Bunn was born in Banff, June 4, 1931 to his English parents, William Victor Bunn and Margaret Bunn (nee Sims). Raised in Banff, he and his older brother Ken took advantage of their surroundings, hiking, skiing, ski-jumping, boating, curling and climbing. From Banff, Ed left to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering beginning at the University of Alberta and completing his studies at the University of British Columbia. While at the U of A, he came to faith in Christ.

Upon graduation, he moved to Calgary, where he worked for several years for Dominion Bridge. There he attended Berean Bible College and Bethel Baptist Church where he met and married, Marilyn Colquhoun, August 4, 1962. Soon after his marriage, he took a job as an instructor in the Engineering Design and Drafting Department the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where he worked for the remainder of his career, until he retired in 1992. He passed at home Sunday, April 29, 2018 at the age of 86.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn (Colquhoun), his brother Kenneth Bunn, and children Bill Bunn, Lynn Cozens, David Bunn, and Judith Olesen, 17 Grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

The chronology and genealogy just described does not capture the sort of man Edmund Bunn was. He was devoted to his family, his wife and four children. He invested much of his time at his church Bethel Baptist (now Abundant Life) where he lead Bible studies, served both as a deacon, and an elder and was chair of the church council. He sang tenor in the church choir. His calm demeanor and even temperament earned him the nickname “Steady Eddie.”

He served at Camp Chestermere as a cabin counselor and later on the Camp Board. As a counselor, he was known as “Eagle” or “Eddy the Eagle.” While teaching and administrating at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology he developed lifelong friendships with his colleagues and co-workers. It was perhaps here he earned the nickname “Doctor Ed.”

He was a man of routine. If you were up early enough, you’d catch him on his knees praying. Or reading the Word. Weekday mornings he’d make breakfast. He was a breakfast specialist. A man who could boil up a pot of Sunny Boy, oatmeal or cream of wheat and serve it steaming hot. He had timed the soft boiled egg to perfection.

Sundays were their own routine. Church in the morning. Home for roast beef dinner. Then a mandatory, family-wide nap, followed by some kind of outing. Cochrane for ice cream. The Glenmore Reservoir to look at boats. Calgary Airport to watch planes. Or an afternoon making precisely constructed paper planes. You might have also caught him conducting the CBC orchestra as he drove. Or setting the house clocks to the international time signal Sunday nights.

He and Mom bought their house after their first year of marriage, a house he supervised as it was built. And in his time away from SAIT during the summers, he built things. Though a very good builder, his workshop was an organizational disaster. He salvaged a Flying Junior sailboat and sailed avidly. He built a carport which he later turned into a single garage and then a double. He built many parts of the family home, nooks, extra bedrooms, knick-knack shelves, and furniture. He loved his house and lived in until he passed.

Despite better judgement, the family, including a cat and a dog, took long vacations together in a station wagon pulling a tent trailer. The family travelled across Canada and down the American West Coast, among other trips. Once the kids had moved out, Ed and Marilyn travelled together taking cruises and trips, and snow-birding in Arizona with friends.

When he retired, he turned his attentions to golf, which he pursued wholeheartedly. He golfed regularly with a group of four friends several times a week. He finished his golfing career with two official holes in one. This earned him the nickname “Tiger Bunn.”

Though he did occasionally experience the better things in life, he never lost sight of the value or significant of the simple things: a cup of coffee, a nicely cooked egg, or fresh bread with a little too much butter. In all, his life was simple. He married one woman. Raised one family. Lived in one house. Worked one career. Attended one church, and worshipped one God. And this simplicity is radiant in our times. We count ourselves blessed to have known this man, teacher, father, friend, and husband.

To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Edmund please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.