Obituary of Edward J. Schunk

**Due to COVID-19, Mass has reached capacity and RSVPs will no longer be accepted. Thank you for your understanding**

SCHUNK - Edward J.

September 27, 2020, beloved husband of the late Leida M. (nee DiScipio) Schunk; loving father of

Edward A. (Judith A.  Feldman) Schunk, Diane (Thomas Coyle) Schunk, Marisa (Edwin) Pers, Christopher (Tucker) Schunk

and the late Pamela Schunk; cherished grandfather of Rianna, Jessica, Adam, Edwin, Leah, Guire, Tiên,

Daisy and Shelby; devoted great-grandfather of Zoe, Aubrey, MacKenzie, Isaac, Ezekiel, Declan and Emery;

adored son of the late George M. and Edith M. (McGuire) Schunk; dear brother of Robert (Mary Ann), Arthur (late Marge),

Millard (late Norine), Earl (Shirley) and Thomas (late Gail) Schunk.The family will be present to receive friends

Thursday, October 22nd from 4-7 PM at BEACH-TUYN FUNERAL HOME, INC., 5541 Main Street (at Cayuga Rd) Williamsville. 

Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial Friday afternoon, October 23rd at 2 o'clock in Christ the King Chapel

at Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo,14208. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, space is limited and on a  first come,

first served basis. **RSVP's are required for the church (RSVP link located on Mr. Schunk's "Service Information" page 

or contact the Funeral Home directly), and strongly encouraged for visitation. When RSVP-ing for visitation, please include

the time you plan to attend in the "notes" section.  **Masks are required at both the Funeral Home and the church. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Rotary Club of Williamsville, PO Box 45, Williamsville, 14221 or to The Wehle

School of Business at Canisius College, Canisius College Department 177, PO Box 8000, Buffalo, 14240-9920.

Please note in memo field "In Memory of Edward J. Schunk" for any donations.

On Sunday, September 27, 2020 Edward Jerome Schunk, loving husband and father of five children, passed away at the age of 92.

 Born in his family’s home at 142 Tremont Ave in Kenmore on November 25, 1927 he learned the virtues of hard work at a young age as he and his brothers combined their efforts to operate the largest Buffalo Evening News delivery rout to that time.  He graduated from Kenmore (West) High School in 1946 and volunteered for the Army that August, serving in Japan as a paratrooper in the 187^th Army Airborne Infantry Regiment (proudly nicknamed the Rakkasans) of the 101^st Airborne Division. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation (Japan) Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Honorable Service (WW II) Button, Marksman Badge and Parachutist Badge and was transferred to a Reserve status 1947. In 1948 enrolled at the Canisius College School of Business. However, his schooling was interrupted in 1950 by his recall to active service for the Korean War during which he served in the 11^th Airborne Divisional Headquarters, earning a letter of commendation from his Commanding Office for his contributions during that assignment.  Mr. Schunk was honorably discharged in 1951 and returned home to complete his schooling at Canisius College.  In 1953 he earned his Baccalaureate degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. After completing all New York State educational, professional and testing requirements he was awarded The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, certificate number 9730, on October 14^th, 1960.

In July 1966 he became a founder and managing Partner in the Firm Schunk, Wilson and Schroeder, Certified Public Accountants in Buffalo, NY.  The Firm later changed its name to Schunk and Wilson and would go on to employ many young CPAs that would in turn grow to become masters of their profession, an accomplishment in which he took a great deal of pride.  Ed retired from his accounting practice in 1995 but the firm bearing his name continued to provide professional accounting and financial services until it was merged into a larger company in 2019.   

Mr. Schunk was married on September 5, 1953 to Ms. Leida DiScipio, a marriage that lasted 66 years until Leida very sadly passed September 25, 2019. Together they raised a family that has grown to include 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.  The Schunk household was often the center of bustling activity not only for immediate family but also for dozens of neighborhood children and international exchange students who were welcomed into their home over many years. This open door welcome extended to a vacation cottage that the family owned at Waverly Beach, Ontario where the backyard pavilion known as “Ed’s Shed” played host to guests from around the world.

Mr. Schunk contributed to the local community in many ways. He was a long-term member of the Williamsville Rotary Club, chairing several committees and heading up or participating in many fund raising efforts for charitable causes and acting as a mentor to underprivileged youth through the Rotary’s big brother program. He was an active participant in the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the New York Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He was also very active in volunteering his expertise to the Amherst Town Board.  But he knew how to maintain life balance and always made time for family, friends and fun.  He and Leida hosted weekly bridge games with a group of friends, organized an annual “block party” for neighbors on Bellingham and Amherston Drives, participated in an annual fishing excursion with his Rotary buddies to Racket Lake in the Adirondack State Park, and never missed the annual family vacations to Pidgeon Lake in Ontario, Canada and spent many summer hours on their 18 foot motor boat that neighbors lovingly called “The Queen Marry”, which Ed had meticulously rebuilt from the keel up.

He was a man of integrity and strong conviction, he held himself and others to the highest ethical standards, but he was equal parts kind, generous understanding and accepting of others.  A prayer that he kept under a tab on the blotter of his desk sums up much about his convictions, it reads in part “Draw us from base content, and set our eyes on far-off goals. Keep us at tasks too hard for us, that we may be driven to thee for strength…make us sure of the good we cannot see and of the hidden good in the world. Open our eyes to simple beauty all around us and the loveliness men hide from us because we do not try enough to understand them….”