Porter Bunch

Jimmy Buffett once said: “It takes no more time to see the good side of life than the bad.” Buffett may have said it, but Porter Bunch lived it his entire life. After years of numerous, painful illnesses and setbacks, Porter never ceased to enjoy the beach, Jimmy Buffett concerts, trips to Chicago to see the Cubs and Buffet in concert at Wrigley Field, and his beloved University of Tennessee Volunteers. ( Except for the time the AD fired Phillip Fulmer, and he had to endure Lane Kiffen and his aftermath.) Porter’s favorite beach city was Key West. If you knew Porter or ever saw him anywhere, you heard about the last trip or the next trip in your conversation with him. He could have been the best KW tour guide because he knew not only the present about the city but its interesting past. If Porter could have returned one more time, it would have been his 38th trip since 1999. Another passion of Porter’s was MOPAR…reading about the makes and models of cars, restoring them, and riding in them. During his vacation in Biloxi in October, he and his son Tom, experienced the ride of a lifetime in a 1965 Dodge Coronet with a Viper engine that clocked 150 MPH over the bridge from Biloxi to Ocean Springs. Porter said: “That made my life.” Porter was born to Thomas Edward “Buster’ Bunch and Edwina Porter Bunch, both deceased, on July 15, 1952. He was the big brother of Bryan Bunch and kept a watchful eye on him as the Bunch family camped for weeks every summer in Pensacola, Florida during their childhood. He retired from his insurance business in 1999 and started a new “hobby”…selling cars. He worked for 4 prominent dealerships in Jackson, Brownsville, Humboldt, and Lexington. He had a gift of gab, story-telling and product knowledge that made potential customers feel at ease and trustful of Porter. Many of those customers still checked on Porter and hoped he was still in the car business. Porter leaves behind his high school sweetheart and wife of 48 years, Susie Bunch, his son Tom Bunch and his wife Lori, and his best buddy and grandson, Buster Bunch; his brother Bryan Bunch and his wife Winnie; and 2 brothers-in-law, Eddy Holmes and Winfield Crook and his wife Dena. He also leaves behind his sweet aunt, JoAnn Armstrong, of Lexington. As John Ward would say: “and a host” of nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends who loved him until the day he died. Porter’s wishes were to be cremated and his ashes be spread in Key West which he considered his home away from home. Visitation will take place Tuesday, November 1, 2022 from 2:00-9:00 at Pafford Funeral Home in Lexington, TN. His memorial service will be Wednesday, November 2 at 11:00 in the Pafford’s Chapel. Porter was a casual fellow unless Susie made him dress up. His memorial will be casual ,and attendees may come in UT orange, Chicago Cubs gear, or anything beachy or Buffett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church or the FH Hensley Animal Shelter, both in Lexington, TN or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Saturday, October 29th was the earthly end to a great love story that began February 28, 1969 on the LHS pep club bus going to a basketball game in Martin, TN. Porter will live on in the stories friends and family tell about the witty, kind character that was Porter Bunch. He will live in Susie’s heart forever because of the oceans of time they shared.

Porter Bunch

July 15, 1952 - October 29, 2022