HenryBundy

Henry Bundy

Early 190s. Photo from ChrisShepherd's collection.

Circa 1982

Circa 1982

July 27, 1943 - December 12, 1999

Henry grew up in Conway, just outside of Digby, went to Kings College and moved to Toronto in 1978.1

The photos are from ChrisShepherd's collection; he says: "Unfortunately Bundy passed on December 12, 1999 due to HIV complications. These pics were taken as part of the modelling course he was taking in the early 1980s; the photographer is unknown."2

Memories

• Bob O'Neill: Met him a few times, first time at Dal SUB. He sat down at my table in the cafeteria as if he'd known me all his life. We talked and finally I admitted I couldn't recall his name. He replied we'd never met before. Looking back, I suspect he recognized a fellow gay. And here I thought I was passing!3
• NorvalCollins: It must have been about 1975 and I didn’t know Bundy well. I had picked him up cruising at Point Pleasant Park and a week later was looking for someone to go to the symphony with. I gave him a call and he said he would be delighted to come with me – I’m not sure if he asked about dressing up at the time, but he probably questioned whether it was a dress up event or not. I imagine I responded thoughtlessly that some people dressed up but others didn’t. When I arrived to pick him up I was stunned by what I saw. First perhaps was the Audrey Hepburn massively wide brimmed hat – it must have been at least 3 feet across. As my eyes worked downward to a pink velvet vest over a purple silk shirt with a few chains around the neck for good measure. Oh yes: a large dangling ear rings made from a tin can to balance the hat to one side. I don’t remember the pants, because the work boots spray-painted silver grabbed my attention first. I think then I noticed that the pants were striped like the wallpaper in a badly decorated hair salon. I muttered something like, you look fabulous, and off we went, while wondering whether I actually had the balls to enter the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium with someone dressed like this 😉4
• RobinMetcalfe: I am sorry to learn of that. Bundy had three names, as I recall. His full name was Gale Henry Bundy, and you could tell which community he shared with someone by the name they called him. In gay circles, he was Bundy. He was also a Bahai - I think they called him Henry, and his family called him Gale, but I might have that mixed up.
• ScottThompson?: Such a wonderful person who gave me lots of good advice from time to time -- or should I say, he shared his wisdom. I still cherish the Mexican sombrero and the authentic London bobby hat along with the Montréal Canadiens jersey that he gave me while going through his closet, such a generous soul he was. Yea he was a fancy dresser and he owned it and thats what made him who he was, just Bundy!! RIP5
• RogerStoddard?: I was privileged to know Henry (or just Bundi) as we called him for close to 25 years. We first crossed paths when I first moved to Halifax in 1975 and was living on Olivet. A roommate at the time had been invited over to his place and he came back raving about the rock garden Bundi had in his living room! We shared the apt on Morris Street briefly before he moved to Toronto in 1978 and when I moved here at the start of 1982 stayed with him for the first six months until ChrisShepherd arrived that summer and we got a place together. An image I’ll always remember is the time we went to the zoo together and Bundi dressed in a poncho and hat looked like a shepherd straight out of the Andes. Well, a herd of alpacas seem to agree and took chase after Bundi across a field like some long lost friend. 😂 A definite original, always a character, never forgettable I can’t believe he’s been gone for 21 years already!6

Tags: Person Category