Eldrid Bunting

Never one to call attention to himself, our beloved father, step-father, and grandfather Eldrid Squire Bunting, quietly passed away early Sunday morning May 24th. He was known as Ed or Grandpa Ed to all who knew him. For nearly 90 years that simple two-letter name complemented his personality and desire for the simple life. Borne to Harold Lovett Bunting and Clara Squire on September 6, 1925 in St. George, Utah, his boyhood was filled with cowboy-themed adventure and fun-loving trouble. Often sleeping more nights under the stars of the Arizona Strip than in his own small home, he ranched with his mother, father, and brother, and learned principles of hard work and integrity that governed his long and successful life. In 1943 he became an air traffic controller for the U.S. Air force and participated in multiple war engagements throughout the Pacific. After the war he began work as a sheet metal and HVAC contractor, eventually purchasing Schoppe Company and turning it into a successful multi-generational company. His boyhood love of the outdoors and riding on the back of a good horse never left him. He spent countless days riding the Wasatch mountains with friends, family, and three generations of boy scouts. He loved children and regaled them with stories of his childhood adventures during the Great Depression. He encouraged children to enjoy his garden and orchard, helping them find the perfect tomato and lifting them high to reach ripe plums and apples. He was notorious for his practical jokes and contagious sense of humor. He served faithfully in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed his time as a temple worker at the Jordan River Temple. He loved to serve others and would leave whatever he was doing to assist anyone in need. His greatest wish was to have a large and happy family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Steve Bunting, and the love of his life, Ann Elizabeth Cardall Bunting. He is survived by his brother Shirl Bunting, nine of his ten children, and multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren. A viewing will be held Monday, June 1st from 6-8 PM at the Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 S Highland Drive. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. June 2nd at the LDS chapel at 2080 East 5165 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. A viewing will commence at 9:30 the same day. Interment will follow at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S Highland Drive. Memories may be shared at www.holladaycottonwoodmortuary.com