The fact that the death of Robert “Uncle Bunky” Williams was not unexpected does not diminish the sense of loss for the thousands who grew up watching his children’s TV show and the young lives he would continue to touch long after it ended.
Williams, 83, died Tuesday of cancer. Earlier this year, he had decided to forgo treatment for the disease and word quickly spread of his decision.
Long after his wildly popular children’s TV show — “Fun Time With Uncle Bunky — ended in 1976 after an 18-year run on WCBI-TV, Williams remained devoted to children as he moved from TV to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, where he served for 20 years, first as a narcotics investigator and later working with abused and neglected children the sheriff’s department often encountered.
Even in retirement, he remained committed and involved, lending his cartoon talents to innumerable community and charity organizations, including a 17-year association with Camp Rising Sun, which provides a summer camp for children who have cancer.
His devotion to children in Columbus meant some personal sacrifice, too. In the 1950s, he turned down an offer from Walt Disney to join Disney as an illustrator — a dream job for any cartoonists/illustrator — because he wanted to remain in Columbus to help the kids here.
During his last visit to Camp Rising Sun in June, Williams spoke about his plans for establishing a charitable foundation to aid our area’s abused and neglected children. Although his health was rapidly deteriorating, his child-like enthusiasm remained.
“It’s almost like he never grew up,” said local historian Rufus Ward, a good friend of Williams. “He always had the enthusiasm of a child, which is something you rarely find in adults.”
Williams will live on in the memories of thousands of north Mississippians who grew up watching Uncle Bunky on TV. Through the foundation the Columbus Exchange Club is organizing in Williams’ name, Uncle Bunky will continue to touch the lives of at-risk children.
His is an example to follow. While Uncle Bunky was an original in every sense of the word, each of us can use our own talents, time and resources to better the lives on the children of our community. Certainly, the need is obvious. Mississippi children lag far behind the national average in such critical areas as poverty, education, health.
Uncle Bunky was not a philanthropist, educator, healthcare expert or politician, yet he did much to improve the lives of so many children by using the talents he had. Each of us, in our own way, can follow his example.
Too often, we are more inclined to curse the darkness rather than light a candle.
But it was never that way with Uncle Bunky, who lit a million or more candles over his long life.
If he could light a million candles, we all can light a few ourselves.
There is no better way to honor Uncle Bunky’s memory.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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