William Ralph Dunbar

He was born Nov. 28, 1922, in La Junta, Colo., to William and Lula Dye Dunbar. He married Barbara M. Iverson on Dec. 29, 1950, in Sioux City, Iowa. She died in 1995.

Surviving are a daughter, Laura L. Dunbar, Nashville, Tenn.; son, William D. Dunbar (Julie), Bloomington; and granddaughters, Jenna, Nashville, and Maggie, Milwaukee.

After Bill graduated from La Junta High School, and San Bernardino Junior College, California, with an associate arts degree, he was employed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. He then attended Ball State Teachers College as part of the Army Specialized Training Program and served in Germany as a combat infantryman with the 102nd Infantry Division. Further studies at Oxford University, England, and thereafter at the University of Colorado Law School, culminated when he graduated in 1950 with a JD degree. He was active there in Phi Alpha Delta, legal fraternity, and Pi Kappa Alpha, social fraternity.

In 1950 in Los Angeles, he began a 38-year career with State Farm Insurance that focused on managerial responsibilities in the areas of employee and labor relations and the State Farm Companies Foundation. Coincidental civic and professional participations included the National Office Management Association, American Association for Personnel Administration, United Way, Bloomington Library Volunteers, Golden “K” Kiwanis and Faith in Action. He was an officer in several of these, including Retired Senior Professionals in which he served as a member of the founding board of directors.

The Dunbars loved to travel and did to most of North America's major cities and national parks and globally in Europe, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Japan and China. Coffee drunk on most Monday mornings for about 20 years with the noted Denny's "guzzlers," bridge for a decade at Luther Oaks, golf with a “gang of rascals” from the McLean County Seniors provided him treasured fellowship and his only hole-in-one at the age of 88 after 65 years of abundant bogies.

He was a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bloomington, for 47 years, where variously he participated as a Bible student, usher, lector and member of the church council.

Bill loved life, his fellow man, and the “lift” that laughter could provide. He apologized for an outrageous sense of humor and failed jokes, but hoped to be remembered with your smile.

Bill's life will be celebrated in a memorial service at 11 a.m. Sept. 29 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Bloomington. A luncheon will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28 also at St. John's Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church, Golden “K” Kiwanis or a charity of the donor's choosing.