John ‘Bunky’ Cavalar, 92

John “Bunky” Cavalar passed away March 3, 2022, in Columbia Falls.

He was born Dec. 23, 1929, in Kalispell to Otta Cavalar from Old Country-Austria and Lena Mengon of Butte.

Bunky came from a large family including cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews. He loved those large family gatherings with delicious home cooked meals by his mother. Bunky graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1949 and went straight to work in the United States Army from August 1951 to August 1953. Bunky received the Good Conduct medal and stayed enlisted in the Reserves for eight more years. He was a general operator and taught the troops how to run radars.

Bunky worked for Plum Creek for 17 years and also worked road construction in the Laborers Union for over 10 years. He enjoyed telling stories and reminiscing about his past.

Bunky loved strawberry milkshakes, hamburgers and Chips Ahoy cookies. He would enjoy an occasional Budweiser. He loved watching his favorite player, Mickey Mantle, play for his favorite team, the Yankees.

In addition to his parents, Bunky was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Cavalar.

A celebration of John “Bunky” Cavalar’s life will be held at a later date. Columbia Mortuary will be handling services for the family. To send online condolences, please visit www.columbiamortuary.com.