William Joseph “Bill” Bunn, Jr.

CARY – William Joseph “Bill” Bunn, Jr., 71, passed away Monday, June 15, 2020 after a short illness. He was born in Dillon, South Carolina to the late William J. Bunn and Barbara McDonald Bunn. Bill graduated from the College of Design at NC State University, where he was also a member of the Sigma Pi Fraternity. He worked for Koppers, and most recently for Lysaght Associates, where he is known nationally for success in jobs with incredibly complex geometry. His perfection and attention to detail resulted in cost-savings for contracts, engineers, and architects. Bill was a founding member of the Aikido Association of America and served as Southeast Regional Director. He achieved the rank of Rokudan (6th degree black belt) in 2010 making him one of the highest ranked practitioners in the United States. His dojo was well established in Cary, North Carolina. An admirer of the complex engineering of a BMW automobile, Bill was a member of BMW-NC Tarheel Travelers Club. During the 1970’s and 80’s, he played guitar in a band whose members became lifelong friends. Bill will be remembered for sincerity, kindness, and warmth he shared with everyone he encountered. He is survived by his partner, Fay Towell of Greenville, South Carolina; and many loving friends. A memorial visitation with light refreshments will be held from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, located at 831 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. Under Raleigh City Ordinance, those planning to attend are respectfully requested to wear a face mask or covering. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to https://www.lls.org/ways-to-donate Arrangements are by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Raleigh. Online condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com