From editor Chuck Woodbury
Dear RVer friends,
It’s Friday evening, April 17, 2020. I have just learned that my dear friend Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor, has died after battling COVID-19 for several weeks. I am devastated. Gary was my Seattle neighbor and one of my very best friends, and I know he was a friend of many of you, too. A nicer guy never lived.
Friday night is when Gail and I celebrate the end of a week, and another RV Travel Newsletter, with a bottle of wine. So, as I write this, late in the evening, I have had a couple of glasses, which normally means I stay clear of my computer for fear of writing something that might embarrass me. But I must write something now.
I can’t begin to tell you how Gail and I adored Gary — one of the sweetest, kindest men either of us have ever known. I can’t imagine him being gone. I can’t.
The photo above was taken a few years ago at a VIP party for the Hershey RV Show. It’s Gary, on the right, with Gail and our friend Chris Dougherty, the technical editor of Trailer Life and Motorhome Magazines. We are all good friends.
Oh, I will miss Gary terribly. And so will Gail, as will all our RV-media friends. I can’t even fathom not having him around. We have all looked forward every year to meeting up in September at the annual Hershey (Pennsylvania) RV Show, where we gather before the show begins at the Bears’ Den at the Hershey Lodge to drink a little beer, eat greasy food, and catch up on our lives. Gary has been the person who always brought us together. Right now, I cannot imagine being there without him.
I am so sad for his family — his wife Debbie, his high school sweetheart and love of his life, and his daughters Gretchen and Heather. And his young grandchildren who brought him such great joy.
I will write more later, but right now I am too sad to write, and Gail is sad, and we need to begin to deal with the loss of our very dear friend. We’re sitting in our motorhome now, exchanging stories about our buddy, laughing, then crying and then laughing again and crying again, and so we go. Oh, my special friend, I hope we meet again one day.
More later, but for now this is all I can say.
Hello Chuck &Gail, Just reading of Gary’s passing. So extremely sad at that news…. We met you and Gary at the Hershey show 5-6 years ago. Long story short: sold our MH and bought beach property on the Outer Banks ( OBX) of North Carolina, 4 years have passed, we just purchased a 2017 Dynamax 24TB… layout is exactly as a Winne View, that we enjoyed. At 75 no cross country trips planned, just short excursions from our real home in Virginia. Glad to be back, and yes 18 months, it’s still a shocker! , RIP Gary….
Hi chuck my name is Samuel Warren jr i just fund out that Gary has passed . I can not believe it !
i have know Gary for about 8yrs just about 4mos. ago he contacted me letting me know he was going to be in Fredericksburg Va and he said maybe we get together. We did not get together but i have been calling him and i was wondering why i have not heard back from.
Chuck please reach out to me. We were accountability Brothers and he was a mentor to me
my email mighty4111@gmail.com
Samuel, I will send you an email about this.
Yesterday I found a video that explained to me what was causing my rv problem. I had never heard of Gary but the short video explained so well what I needed to know, in such a clear and friendly manner. I felt grateful immediately.
Today I fixed my converter in minutes for no cost and went looking for a way to thank the man.
We have lost a truly good man to this horrible disease. This is so wrong.
Anyway thank you, Gary for being the good man you were. You have left a legacy for us.
Bob Enns
Beaverlodge Alberta
Canada
😢😭🙏🏻
I’m very sorry to hear of this. Watched many of his videos. Always helpful. Prayers to his family and friends.
I may have posted this twice. Sorry, if so.
I’m very sad to learn of Gary’s death! He’s been a guiding light for many, an incredible teacher & good friend to many. I’m new to RVing, bought my used 24′ Minnie Winnebago a year ago. Before doing so, I attended RV Shows in the Seattle area to learn as much as I could before a purchase. I attended his classes then, and again at the most recent show, this time only to get to go to his classes. His teaching was thorough & so understandable, complete with printed diagrams & explanations. I’m pleased to have had his moral support as a widowed woman (of a certain age) in owning & operating my own rig. He gave me advice and encouragement. I was looking forward to attending his classes again, even tho the subjects would be the same. Always something new to learn. I will use all he has left for us online.
I imagine he’s had a great influence on the promotion of safe & enjoyable RV-ing!. This time he was pleased to announce a new & extensive RV mechanic training program which I’m sure he had a hand in implementing. Such a kind, pleasant guy with a fount of knowledge, patience for the repeated questions of his students, a great sense of humor, & certainly someone to want to emulate. A giant of a man! I barely knew him & am really grieving his passing. This virus is ugly, so I know he really had to have suffered before his death. God bless him and his family, and all who are his friends and followers!
Very sad. So wonderful to hear that Mr. Gary Bunzer lived a fulfilling life of love. Chuck, I share your grief and may God Bless the Bunzer family and loved ones and all his friends.
So sorry to hear about Gary Bunzer’s death.
His RV advice was always so helpful.
Though I didn’t know him personally, it is obvious from the comments, that his life blessed many. It is also obvious he must have been a man of God.
If we also will accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, as Gary apparently had, we will have the opportunity to spend eternity with him in heaven.
Our prayers are with his family and the large RV family he had as well.
Such sad news 🙏🙏🙏 for his family
Thank you, Chuck, for this post and the opportunity for friends of Gary to share their grief. Coming from another sphere of Gary’s life, his musical life, I counted him among my best friends. Gary was a wonderful guitarist and song writer. We played in many jams together. He was kind and warm and truly interested in other people and their stories. He made everyone feel special. I am heartbroken knowing I will never see him again and we’ll never play another tune. He was a treasure. God bless his soul and bless his family.
“Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth
I am so sorry for Gary Bunzer’s family, all the friends he knew he had, and all the RV friends he didn’t know were out here being his friend, too. I’m one of those last kind. I can’t begin to count the number of times his sage advice saved me not only time, but money, too. I relied on his advice because he knew what he knew! I could tell from his writing that he was a good guy; the world is a bit darker now.
Really sorry for his family I know the RV people will truly miss him I know for sure I will in east TN
Deepest sympathies to you and Gary’s family. So sad to learn of another great person and great American succumbing to this cheap shot virus. I’ve learned and shared much from both of you. God’s comfort be with you.
My Condolences to family and friends and I’m sending prayers of strength and understanding during this difficult time.
Chuck, So sorry to hear of Gary’s passing, my wife and I met him at the Hershey RV show and attended several of his clinics over the years. He was such a nice guy and will be truly missed. Our Sincere Condolences to his family and you and the RV community.
So sorry to hear this dreadful news. Gary was a wonderful friend as well as a great person to do business with. Always looked forward to sharing stories and good lunch with him when visiting Seattle. Struggling to take this in as he was so full of life and energy
Truly sorry for your loss and to all his friends as well.
No words other than please accept my condolences.
Beautiful sentiments. You were blessed to have him in your life.
Read many many of his articles. Learned much about RVs thru his training. May God take care of of him. God bless