Celebrating the life of Leo the Lion

Hi everyone who has had the opportunity to know Leo Bunch, today I am writing to you that Leo the Lion, as we call him, has peacefully crossed over to the other side after living a life of incredible color and fight. Leo Edward Bunch Sept 17, 1960 - July 31 2024 10:37am

 A dynamic man of many shades with a heart of gold who fought to the teeth from a life of unpredictable adventure and mishap living on the streets to living a life of adventure and dreams in recovery is passing on and we need your support.

 When I first met Leo, he was in seek of justice and correction with the utmost fervor anyone miles away could feel and hear with his booming voice and presence, his impassioned energy constantly demanding redirection and awareness for everyone around him, even for himself. Over time he found new ways to interact with the world leading with his understanding and patience though hard for him to sustain even when he was right, he kept marching on learning new things and ship-shaping into new versions of himself for the betterment of connection daily. His love of life and people, desirous of family with fond memories of his grandmother, adoration for dogs especially his beloved Roka, incredible knack for storytelling and connecting with others, deep sense of heart to listen and be there for people when they really needed someone, passion for music: listening to most all of it sans country favoring Pink Floyd and each one of their albums, love of guitars, singing, songwriting, and performing - knowing so much about any band and song from any era and his way around crafting tight hold picks out of credit card bits and building a guitar from scratch or fixing up a trasher into the shiniest of used, and writing a great blues song - “I Know You’re Leavin, …. me tomorrow …”, with a soulful ability to croon into the hearts of listeners while singing it himself, interest in motorcycles, race cars, and even building a water transfer system concept as an inventor of many things, an avid fixer and rider of bicycles, ability to cook while loving the simple taste: a Burrito and a Pepsi, Tommy’s Burger and Chili, Jack in the Box egg roles with ranch, and all flavors ice cream, seeking camping adventures and nature balanced with working hard in his own way, even once trying to start a tree company service when he was young for that to end after falling out of one of the trees and surviving with a bounce scaring all clients and crafted colleagues alike, are only a few things I can share with you about the man I met and had the privilege of shadowing in society and getting to know as he took steps to change part of his life from using while homeless to helping while humble when joining my non profit as a participating community member inspired by my birth father Don and our music namely my song Sweet Talk, to support our development of creative arts wellness programs and shadow companion mediation services for unhoused communities here at Fine Arts Revolution. Whether it was unloading the sound system, wrapping music cables, setting up guitars, singing and playing music, helping youth with art projects with his care for children and skill of teaching, and aiding in running our creative arts wellness pop up booths offering constant company and conversation with supportive ideas, were only a mere few things he did to contribute at large. Most of all his support and consistent energy guiding me through each step of challenge presented, provided an anchor that helped the ship settle or sail at any turn … “shift” he would say, “just shift”. Thank you with gratitude Leo.

 After surviving the unsurvivable this past May - a subarachnoid hemorrhage from an undetected aneurysm leading to a 60 day hospital stint having instinctually and coincidentally requested my support as medical power of attorney shy of hours of this unexpected event where together he navigated daily to heal at his own process and pace through the complex medical system as the first homeless man with no family, rather with a chosen proactive present POA to ensure the timing and temperament for his best interest at hand followed by a two month fight for recovery in our last minute decision to provide a personable transitional temporary bridge home for healing so he had a familiar safe space to go, a new set of health circumstances relating to kidneys and blood clot induced stroke surfaced, now leading him on a peaceful path to the other side from creative personalized hospice care at our non profit home where I reside.

 I have been finding peace through the sorrow of Leo’s passing and have come to believe that there was major purpose in his surviving the unsurvivable these last few months, from March until July, his fight to keep on keepin on with hopes of recovery to come, whilst still exiting this world just the same. In the whispers of the wind and in the silence he leaves behind, his voice has been heard long and far in the ears and hearts of the many he has reached. It seems evident that one of his main soul purposes here was truly and finally met - his perseverance in shadowed partnership especially in the last few months actually offered a lot for all walks of life far and wide through his attitude and aptitude, willingness to persist and change, love, give, and forgive embarking on a silence that finally sounds. His life and death offers perspectives to consider and think about more than just the immediate when making decisions and choosing awareness with patience, learning the ability to consider outside of the box, something different - or simply to “just shift” - and for this his life’s journey made an impact and a difference - I know he has for me. In reflecting on the details now, he was aware of what was happening for a window of time and there comes relief that he was in a safe space surrounded by love and calm for him to transition peacefully at his own pace rather than with a continuous drawn out struggle. Thank you for reading and for your open heart of support.

 As we honor the colorful and dynamic life of Leo Bunch and peacefully send him off we are asking for your kindness and consideration to support with donations for his pending cremation and life celebration arrangements as other than his chosen friends as family and food stamps, pending everything else he ever hoped to obtain for stability and happiness, has no living family members and no money to his name, though one of the richest gentlemen I have met in my lifetime. From the final stages of comfort in care, the transition from funeral home transportation to cremation something he wanted - we will grant him one final wish to come true in his journey here while we commit to remembering him and creating truth to his dreams still as he passes on to the next realm - to aid in the spreading of his ashes far and wide in nature high to the sky, and a life celebration to honor the heart and spirit, lessons and memory, and gifts and blessings of Leo Bunch, Leo the Lion - The Driver.

  -> https://youtu.be/bYMZGamPMNM?si=apZr6u7lxcxR5dWO

  -> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3PhWT10BW3Urh8ZXXpuU9h526ChwgWKy&si=7WQOvQmeiNm-bRyK

 In honor of Leo Edward Bunch Leo Edward Bunch Sept 17, 1960 - July 31 2024 10:37am

 Sincerely Jenni Alpert (Cami-Cam) & the Fine Arts Revolution Inc team