John Stewart Bunting

John Bunting, a 50-year Arvada resident who had a lifetime of service as a federal employee, forensic accountant, and Army officer, and who loved traveling with his beloved wife, died on February 15, 2025, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He was 78.

John was born August 24, 1946, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He was a lifelong learner. He graduated from Thiel College in Pennsylvania and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a JD from the University of Denver.

He met his wife, Phyllis Anne Bunting, while he was working with the park service at Yellowstone and she was on a road trip with friends. They were married 54 years and had two children, David and Lu. They enjoyed traveling together, exploring National Parks and taking Rick Steves’ Europe Tours. Both John and Phyllis were members of the Jefferson Unitarian Church.

John had a series of interesting careers, all devoted to service.

John served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1973 as a Signal Corps Officer. He completed Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Infantry Officer Candidate School. He was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant. His last duty assignment was at Fort Lewis, Washington, in the 176th Signal Company in the Sixth Army Division.

For many decades, John was a civil servant, working as an accountant in the federal government. He served as an auditor within the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Commerce, which acts as an independent review of the department’s activities and projects. He retired after more than 30 years.
 
His love of learning extended to teaching. He taught accounting at Regis University for many years. He was both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Forensic Accountant.

After his retirement from the federal government, beginning in 2012, John worked as a forensic accountant in the Office of the First Judicial District Attorney of Jefferson County, Colorado, investigating cases of elder abuse and fraud. He served as a Trustee for the Colorado Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Regulation, Attorneys' Client Protection Fund.

John had a variety of hobbies. He was an avid Colorado Rockies fan, often traveling to see the baseball team’s Opening Day away as well as at home in Denver. He enjoyed hot air ballooning and was a member of a crew for a hot air balloon in the Denver area. In his final year, he traveled to visit family in Calgary, Louisiana, California, Maryland, and New York, where he also visited the Museum of Modern Art. He was planning a biking trip around Norway this summer before he passed away.

John was buried at Evergreen Memorial Park alongside his wife and their daughter, Lu. He was predeceased by his brother, Robert Bunting of Thibodaux, Louisiana, and his parents, Herbert and Lois Bunting of Huntsville, Alabama. He is survived by his son David and wife Jan Bunting of Santa Clara, Calif.; his sister Susan Bunting Warner and brother-in-law Winston Warner of Maryland; and numerous sibling in-laws, nieces, and nephews in Alberta, British Columbia, Canada; Yukon, Canada; Maryland; Louisiana; Washington state; and New York.

A memorial service will be held on Friday March 28th at 10:30 AM at Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 West 32nd Avenue, Golden, Colorado, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Porchlight, a Family Justice Center in Jefferson County, Colorado, that provides comprehensive legal, emotional, and critical supportive services for survivors of elder abuse and other forms of abuse and violence. 

https://www.porchlightfjc.org/