Teddy Bunker

**Theodore Frederick Bunker** (March 30, 1937 - May 4, 2022), often referred to by his initials **TFB**, was an American lobbyist and politician who served as the Mayor of Kingsville from 2001 to 2009 and the Governor of Texas from 2013 to 2017. He unsuccessfully ran for the presidency three times. He lobbied for many successful businesses, including Pacific Banking Corporation, Unity Fashions and Corona Mills.

Prior to his lobbying and political careers, Bunker was a leading Naval commander in a service spanning from 1955 to 1989, with a gap between 1965 and 1969 filled by enrollment in university and the Naval Academy. A pinnacle moment in his service was in 1986 when, on a deployment in Uruguayan waters, he sustained massive injuries from a mine explosion.

## Early life and education

Teddy was born in Kingsville, Texas to librarian Jacob Bunker (1905 - 1984) and insurance agent Darlene Bunker (1908 - 1984). He had a pointer named Freya (died 1947) and two sisters, Olivia (1935 - 2019) and Desiree (born 1943). Jacob and Darlene divorced after World War Two in 1945, when Teddy was eight years old. Several sources state that he was named after Teddy Roosevelt. Olivia was a legal secretary for Gulch & Brown. Desiree is a wedding planner for The Hunt Company. Desiree is also a dancer, having earned the degree in college.

From an early age, becoming a leader was one of Bunker's main desires. At Illumina Middle School, he joined the politics club to begin his training to get a seat. He also took up foreign language, environment, chess and creative writing. Bunker enjoyed chess, comparing the pieces to naval ships in a battle. Bunker attended Neptune Preparatory School, class of 1955. He wanted to join the student council in hopes of practicing the role of a president, but he was rejected. He rejoined the clubs of chess, environment, foreign language, and also took up key and yearbook. In his junior year, Bunker became the president of the foreign language club. He took this opportunity to practice holding true to a title.

## US Navy

### Enlisted years

Bunker's own surname inspired his enlistment in the United States military in summer 1955, months before the breakout of the Vietnam War. In the Navy, he befriended his fellow seamen/seawomen, Casey Strange, Christopher Simms, Joe Palermo, Joy Blart, Katie Elliot, Madison Wu-Beers and the Cox sisters, Ashley and Trinity Cox.

### Naval Academy and officer service

In September 1965, Bunker enrolled in the Naval Academy to avoid conscription for the Vietnam War. He also attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville to major in politics. To divide his time at both, he would attend every one week at the Academy, and every other week at A&M.

In 1986, Bunker was shipped to Uruguay for a deployment. He successfully cleared several squares of water from mines. On his third or fourth dig, he accidentally detonated a mine. His chin was burnt, his forehead was charred, and his scrotum was scarred.

## Lobbying businesses

### Pacific Banking Corporation

At the end of his naval career, Bunker ran for mayor and state governor. He lost both elections. While waiting for the next election, he browsed several jobs, eventually being hired by the Pacific Banking Corporation as a lobbyist.

## Personal life

Bunker married his high school sweetheart, Veronica Woodward (1937 - 2003), a mail carrier, in 1960. They had five children together and were married for forty-three years. Woodward was killed in a flood in 2003, during Teddy's second year in office of his first mayoral term. He then dated his friend, Genesis Mayweather (born 1937), and they were married from 2007 until his death.

Bunker was a fan of *Star Wars* since seing *A New Hope* on the night of its premier, May 25, 1977 with his family and some of his fellow sea mates. Besides the complex storyline and character development, he was impressed with the lighting, special effects and design of the franchise. Whenever Bunker was on leave during service, he collected the merchandise and provided acting skills as an ensemble in the movies as either a jedi, stormtrooper, or other.

## Death

On May 4, 2022, after watching a *Star Wars* movie, Bunker suffered a massive heart attack and passed away in his home, aged 85. He is survived by his second wife, little sister, Desiree, five children and three living grandchildren (a fourth, grandson Keenan, died in 2018 at age eleven from complications associated with measles). With military honors presented at his funeral, Bunker was posthumously promoted by the Navy to the officer rank of captain.