Karen "Kay" Elaine Sawyer Bunker
Mrs. Karen “Kay” Elaine Sawyer Bunker, age 75 of Mount Airy, NC, went peacefully home to the Lord on June 11th, 2026 at Mountain Valley Hospice home in Dobson after a courageous battle with cancer. Kay was born in Revere, Massachusetts on September 13th, 1950, the middle child in a family of 11 children to the late Victor and Doris Lyons Sawyer. Kay grew up with her nine brothers and one sister in the suburbs of Boston and graduated from Billerica memorial high school in Billerica, MA. Kay met her future husband, James Garner Bunker, in 1968 and after marriage moved to James’ hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Kay attended Guilford Tech and Surry Community Colleges, earning chiropractic assistant and medical assistant certifications. Kay worked in various medical office and assistant roles before retiring from Northern Rehab as a medical office assistant. Kay was of the Lutheran faith and displayed her commitment to our Lord daily through her life of loving others in the way Christ commanded. Kay was known by all who knew her as possessing the most genuine kindness and was an eternal optimist in all situations. Kay’s deep love of her family will be missed today but remembered for generations. Her outgoing personality, positive energy and genuine care for people resulted in deep and lasting extended family connections and friendships both in her home state of MA and her marriage home of Surry County. Kay was most proud of being “Nana” to so many grand and great grandchildren in her life. Whether blood relative or not, nana’s house was always a place of love, laughs, snacks and comfort for so many children through the years and she cherished each one. In addition to her parents, Kay was preceded in death by her in-law parents, Raymond and Georgia Bunker, a son Jimmy Lee Bunker, brothers Pete Sawyer, Vic Sawyer, and Larry Sawyer. Kay is survived by her husband of 55 years, James Garner Bunker, along with a son Matt Bunker (Angie) and a daughter Lindsay Bunker Beal (Shane). Also surviving, a sister Mary Sawyer Lavoie (Randy), brothers Jesse Sawyer (Linda), Tom Sawyer (Patty), Jack Sawyer (Nancy), David Sawyer (Elizabeth), Jimmy Sawyer (Chrissie) and Robert “Bobby” Sawyer (Denise), a sister-in-law Cissy Bunker Dalton (Rick) and brother-in-law Bill Bunker (Janet). She is also survived by her grandchildren Morgan Bunker Tate (Michael), Hope Bunker Bowman (Mason); Arin Bunker Keiser (Lance) and Wilson Bunker, along with great-grandson Lockelan Tate, great-grandchild Keiser due later this year and step grandchildrenMercedes Beal, Cody Beal (Sara) and great step-grandson Oliver Beal. Also left to cherish the memory of “Nana” are step-grandchildren Charles Crandall (Dianna), Alexis Crandall, Makayla Sturgill and many bonus great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends. The family would like to thank the entire staff of Mountain Valley Hospice for the amazing care and love shown to our mom and family during her illness. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in mom’s honor be made to Mountain Valley Hospice at https://mountainvalleycares.org/. A graveside service for family and close friends will be held at the Bunker family burial plot in the White Plains Baptist Church cemetery on Saturday June 20th at 10am.
