Tolland County Mourning Loss Of Community Benefactor 'Jerry' Bundy

VERNON, CT — Richard "Jerry" Bundy Jr., a lifelong resident of Vernon, a charitable benefactor and a champion in the auto industry as both a racer and shop owner who let the town borrow his classic cars for parades and other events, has died.

He was 89.

Bundy was born on Sept. 11, 1935 and passed away on Oct. 15, according to his obituary posted by the Burke-Fortin Funeral Home.

He was the owner of Bundy Motors in Tolland and was known for his auto body work, along with a classic car collection that he made available to the town of Vernon for various parades, particularly at the annual July in the Sky fireworks celebration (of which he was a sponsor) and on Memorial Day.

Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said Bundy "cared deeply" about his hometown and was a frequent contributor to charitable and municipal causes.

"He was the most caring, kind and humble person," Champagne said. "He loved his family, cars and his community."

Bundy would provide several of his classic vehicles to carry veterans in Vernon's two Memorial Day parades.

He would also contribute use of the vehicles for other community events, and was generous in supporting many other gatherings and programs in town. Former Vernon recreation director Bruce Dinnie, who now holds the same position in Tolland, remembered his role in developing the Rails to Trails system.

"In 1994 and '95, he and his friends volunteered on weekends to tow over 40 cars that were dumped off the future rails to trails near the Bolton town line," Dinnie said. "He scrapped them and donated the proceeds to his KIDSAFE program. He helped improve Henry Park when I was Director with advice, tractor work and donations.He was remarkable."

Current Vernon rec director Marty Sitler called Bundy "a tremendous contributor to the community," while adding, "He was a friend of all things Vernon."

Bundy was a founding member of KIDSAFE CT in 1981 and, through his work with the KARS FOR KIDS program and its annual Car Show, he helped raise nearly $2 million that went toward helping children and families.

His humanitarian efforts were recognized with several awards, and at the time of his death he was a current board member of The Village for Children and Families.

Bundy was an Army veteran, and his post-service contributions were not limited to parades and cool cars. He contributed to the installation of 24 flag poles across town.

"Jerry's passing is a tremendous loss to Vernon," Champagne said. "He has been a huge part of our community."

Bundy also was an accomplished racer and achieved celebrity status on the original dirt track at Stafford Motor Speedway. Racing on dirt took him all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and he earned victories in all major North American races, including the renowned Baja 1000 and 500, the Las Vegas Mint 400 and was a Formula 4x4 truck Crandon World Champion.

He was a member of the Rockville Exchange for more than 40 years and in his honor, the Jerry Bundy Award was created to recognize individuals who" demonstrate the same dedication and commitment to community service."

Calling hours are scheduled for the Burke-Fortin Funeral Home in the Rockville section of Vernon from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Saint Bernard Church in Rockville at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct 21. Burial will follow at Saint Bernard Cemetery. Donations can be made to KIDSAFE CT, 19 Elm St., Vernon.

See his full obituary here.