Patricia L. Buntele

Patricia L. “Pat” (Waldo) Buntele, 85, of Anderson, Indiana, passed away peacefully at her home on July 31, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on November 10, 1940, in Anderson, Indiana, Pat was the daughter of Luther A. Waldo and Mary A. (Grant) Waldo. She was the beloved sister of Rebecca “Becky” (Waldo) Slusher and her husband, Ernest “Ernie” Slusher. Pat married Ronald E. Koop on June 4, 1960, and together they welcomed three children. Following their divorce in 1974, she later married Richard A. “Dick” Buntele on October 17, 1987. Pat often described Dick as her best friend and the love of her life. Together they shared nearly four decades of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion, facing life’s joys and challenges hand in hand. Pat was a strong and remarkable woman. She was a woman who loved the Lord Jesus and had a deep Christian faith. She was a member of Crossroads Global Methodist Church in Anderson. As a child, she loved her family, excelled in the things she did, and enjoyed hanging out with her friends. As a young mother, she was protective of her children and involved in many activities such as PTA, den mother of both a Cub Scout den and a Brownie Den, and active in her children’s education. Pat also bowled with family members on various bowling teams. Throughout her career, Pat dedicated herself to both her profession and her community. She served as the Executive Secretary of the Muncie Downtown Association, the Muncie Downtown Merchants Association, the Treasurer of Toastmistresses, and was involved with establishing the first NOW chapter in Muncie. Professionally, she worked at Hatley Oil Co., the Dayton-Walther Corporation, was the owner of the Accon Group, a billing company, and was later a distributor of a purchasing program throughout the eastern United States for P.O. Writer Plus until her retirement. Pat is survived by her devoted husband, Dick Buntele; son Jon R. “Rick” Koop (Meri), Muncie, Indiana, and daughter Teresa L. (Koop) Henry (Harley) of Sterling, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Debra “Debbie” (Koop) Bryant, and Debbie’s husband, James Bryant. She is also survived by her step-daughters, Barbara (Buntele) Karraker of Roswell, Georgia, whose husband, Wayne, preceded her in death, and Christine (Buntele) Welker (Micheal), of Dayton, Ohio. Pat leaves behind a legacy of love through her ten grandchildren, Adrean (Doug) Keihn, Shawna (Adam) Sewell, Loryn (Jason) Craig, Brittany (Gib) Seeders, Aleah (Cade) Ramey, Grace (Liam) Pawlak, Ty Karraker, Justin (Amber) Welker, Dylan Welker and Damon Barnes. She was also blessed with sixteen great-grandchildren, each of whom brought her immense joy. Pat will be remembered as a woman of unwavering faith, remarkable strength, keen intelligence, generous spirit, quiet wisdom, and fierce love for her family. She was protective, determined, wonderfully feisty, and always striving for excellence. Above all, she will be remembered for the love she gave so freely and the countless happy memories she created for those fortunate enough to know her. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date, with details to be announced. The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the caring staff of Primrose Retirement Community of Anderson and Community Health Network Hospice for the compassion, kindness, and exceptional care they provided to Pat, Dick, and the entire family during her final journey.

Patricia L. Buntele

November 10, 1940 - July 31, 2026