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Roger Kunz

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Roger Kunz Veteran

Birth
Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA
Death
7 Mar 2020 (aged 87)
Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho, USA
Burial
Bluffdale, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section C2 Site 290
Memorial ID
View Source
Roger Kunz
July 12, 1932 - March 7, 2020 (age 87)

Cherished Dad, Roger Kunz (87), won Blackjack Mar. 7, 2020, in Idaho Falls, ID. Eldest son of Morris Quincy Kunz (1904-1991) & Olive Allred (1910-1969), he was born July 12, 1932, in Boise amidst The Great Depression. He lived most of his life in the Salt Lake & Mt. Pleasant, UT areas. Roger had 39 siblings who featured in a full LIFE Magazine spread. He attended Whittier & Horace Mann Elementary and West High schools. Roger left home at age 13 in alleviation of his family's poverty. Always a joker & prankster, he had friends everywhere.

Roger was lucky in love, too, meeting his future wife, Colleen Manning, while riding bicycles when they were 14. "She had the most beautiful smile!" They married Sept. 1, 1950, and raised 6 daughters, who survive him: Stephanie Spangler (Bruce Rogal), Mt Dora, FL; Marilynn "Maggi" Jones (Wayne H), Rigby, ID; Susan Barton, Farmington, UT; Shari "Shar" Kunz, Beaverton, OR; Kammee Lewis, Hillsboro, OR; & Lori Coleman, Trinity, FL. They divorced after more than 20 years (Colleen survives) & Roger remarried (Mary) Alene Olsen on Sep 10, 1983, who preceded him in death Sept. 8, 2006. This marriage made Kathy Ireland his niece. Roger has 13 grandchildren & 11 great-grandchildren.

Sergeant Kunz, a medic in the U.S. Army during The Korean Conflict, served in the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red) for nearly 4 years. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany during years holding his most fond memories. Roger was awarded American Occupations (Germany), Good Conduct, & National Defense Service Medals.

Colleen & Roger owned homes in SLC & Bountiful where Roger raised & trained German Shepherds. His gregarious personality was well-suited for the sales industry where he worked selling heavy equipment, automotive, freight, insurance & chemicals. For almost a decade he worked as a draftsman for the State of Utah Highways Dept. He was a serial entrepreneur co-owning Paint & Piston, where he employed Larry H. Miller as a teen, & National Product Sales (NPS aka Market Place).

Always courageous, Roger built & flew experimental aircraft (pilot license renewed 8/2015), skydived, skateboarded, Alpine & water skied, jogged, hunted & generally sought adventure & mischief wherever he was. He knew many celebrities from southern Utah filming where he would direct heavy equipment moving sets during the heyday of Westerns. Roger most recently acted in a Crispin Glover film featured in The Sundance Film Festival. His great sense of humor was displayed in his winning of an Area 7 Toastmaster's Humorous Speech Award. Roger starred in an SLC TV show anonymously sharing his professional Blackjack skills. Dad loved central Utah & Red Rock Country.

After marrying Alene, Roger erected a Navajo Hogan near Mt. Pleasant wherein they lived for 6 years until he finished his new solar home of Southwestern design. Roger was ahead of his time in the solar movement. He delighted in being self-sufficient; living "off the grid." While there Roger became a clergy member & performed many marriages while simultaneously running community self-help groups. He was active in community civic affairs. Roger & Alene often distributed gloves & coats among the homeless at Christmastime. He saved at least 2 lives (& prevented the loss of several others), provided homes for strays, "comforted the afflicted & afflicted the comfortable", danced with the disabled, was generous, kind, good, full of you-know-what, & always, ALWAYS gave of himself. Roger lived larger than his extremely colorful life.

A celebration of Roger's amazing life will be held Thurs., Jul 23, 2020, at 11 am at the West Pavilion in Dry Creek Park, 100 W 1500 N, Lehi, UT where the family will meet friends and loved ones at 10 am. Interment with military honors will be at 2 pm at Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Rd (1700 W), Bluffdale, UT. Arrangements are under the direction of Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First Street, Idaho Falls. www.coltrinmortuary.com
Roger Kunz
July 12, 1932 - March 7, 2020 (age 87)

Cherished Dad, Roger Kunz (87), won Blackjack Mar. 7, 2020, in Idaho Falls, ID. Eldest son of Morris Quincy Kunz (1904-1991) & Olive Allred (1910-1969), he was born July 12, 1932, in Boise amidst The Great Depression. He lived most of his life in the Salt Lake & Mt. Pleasant, UT areas. Roger had 39 siblings who featured in a full LIFE Magazine spread. He attended Whittier & Horace Mann Elementary and West High schools. Roger left home at age 13 in alleviation of his family's poverty. Always a joker & prankster, he had friends everywhere.

Roger was lucky in love, too, meeting his future wife, Colleen Manning, while riding bicycles when they were 14. "She had the most beautiful smile!" They married Sept. 1, 1950, and raised 6 daughters, who survive him: Stephanie Spangler (Bruce Rogal), Mt Dora, FL; Marilynn "Maggi" Jones (Wayne H), Rigby, ID; Susan Barton, Farmington, UT; Shari "Shar" Kunz, Beaverton, OR; Kammee Lewis, Hillsboro, OR; & Lori Coleman, Trinity, FL. They divorced after more than 20 years (Colleen survives) & Roger remarried (Mary) Alene Olsen on Sep 10, 1983, who preceded him in death Sept. 8, 2006. This marriage made Kathy Ireland his niece. Roger has 13 grandchildren & 11 great-grandchildren.

Sergeant Kunz, a medic in the U.S. Army during The Korean Conflict, served in the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red) for nearly 4 years. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany during years holding his most fond memories. Roger was awarded American Occupations (Germany), Good Conduct, & National Defense Service Medals.

Colleen & Roger owned homes in SLC & Bountiful where Roger raised & trained German Shepherds. His gregarious personality was well-suited for the sales industry where he worked selling heavy equipment, automotive, freight, insurance & chemicals. For almost a decade he worked as a draftsman for the State of Utah Highways Dept. He was a serial entrepreneur co-owning Paint & Piston, where he employed Larry H. Miller as a teen, & National Product Sales (NPS aka Market Place).

Always courageous, Roger built & flew experimental aircraft (pilot license renewed 8/2015), skydived, skateboarded, Alpine & water skied, jogged, hunted & generally sought adventure & mischief wherever he was. He knew many celebrities from southern Utah filming where he would direct heavy equipment moving sets during the heyday of Westerns. Roger most recently acted in a Crispin Glover film featured in The Sundance Film Festival. His great sense of humor was displayed in his winning of an Area 7 Toastmaster's Humorous Speech Award. Roger starred in an SLC TV show anonymously sharing his professional Blackjack skills. Dad loved central Utah & Red Rock Country.

After marrying Alene, Roger erected a Navajo Hogan near Mt. Pleasant wherein they lived for 6 years until he finished his new solar home of Southwestern design. Roger was ahead of his time in the solar movement. He delighted in being self-sufficient; living "off the grid." While there Roger became a clergy member & performed many marriages while simultaneously running community self-help groups. He was active in community civic affairs. Roger & Alene often distributed gloves & coats among the homeless at Christmastime. He saved at least 2 lives (& prevented the loss of several others), provided homes for strays, "comforted the afflicted & afflicted the comfortable", danced with the disabled, was generous, kind, good, full of you-know-what, & always, ALWAYS gave of himself. Roger lived larger than his extremely colorful life.

A celebration of Roger's amazing life will be held Thurs., Jul 23, 2020, at 11 am at the West Pavilion in Dry Creek Park, 100 W 1500 N, Lehi, UT where the family will meet friends and loved ones at 10 am. Interment with military honors will be at 2 pm at Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Rd (1700 W), Bluffdale, UT. Arrangements are under the direction of Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First Street, Idaho Falls. www.coltrinmortuary.com

Inscription

ROGER KUNZ
SGT US ARMY
JUL 12, 1932 - MAR 7, 2020
EVERYBODYS GOTTA
BE SOMEWHERE



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  • Created by: Sary Bitsoie
  • Added: Jul 20, 2020
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213244932/roger-kunz: accessed ), memorial page for Roger Kunz (12 Jul 1932–7 Mar 2020), Find a Grave Memorial ID 213244932, citing Utah State Veterans Memorial Park, Bluffdale, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA; Maintained by Sary Bitsoie (contributor 47922314).