It's Amazing What You Can Accomplish
Profile: Herb Bunch
Graduating from New Castle High School with the class of 1950, Herb started college at Wabash but it was interrupted by the Korean conflict. After serving two years in the U. S. Army, he returned to his college career at Ball State University where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education. Herb stated “as a school administrator, I had the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life at the local, state, and national levels. I learned how to become a good listener and to appreciate that one person cannot do the job alone, teamwork is essential to any organization”.
Asked how and when he first became interested in philanthropy and volunteering, he answered as a teenager upon the death of his father and watching his Mother raising three children on her own during the World War II years and realizing how many people stepped forward to help in so many ways. He knew then that some day he wanted to be able to give back to the community that had offered so much to his family.
Retiring from the Foundation in September of 2000, Herb remained on hand to help with the transition of the new director. He became a mentor to the staff, a consultant for other Community Foundations throughout the state, and served on the Scholarship and Development committees to stay abreast of the challenges presented to Community Foundations.
As a donor, Herb has made a lifetime commitment of remembering others through memorial donations, congratulating achievements through honorary donations, and increasing endowments and the benefits to the designated receivers as needs arise. Herb made a difference to many in this community through his teaching, his discipline, his willingness to give and continuing to be “amazed at what can be accomplished”!
Herb has been married to Judith, a retired teacher, for fifty years. They have three daughters, Lisa, Allison, and Amy and three sons-in-law, all named Dave. They are also the proud grandparents of six grandchildren. They attend the First Presbyterian Church and both are very involved in not-for-profit and social clubs throughout the Henry County community. He continues to give where he lives.
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish, when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” This statement has been accredited to Harry S. Truman, but those of us who are familiar with the Henry County Community Foundation have attributed the saying to Herb Bunch.
