- William 'Bill' Chester Gunn Scottsdale, Ariz. and Pentwater: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Oceana's Herald-Journal (Hart, MI) - Thursday, June 12, 2014
Deceased Name: William 'Bill' Chester Gunn Scottsdale, Ariz. and Pentwater
William "Bill" Chester Gunn, 84, died May 7, 2014, in Scottsdale, Ariz. A former creative director for a Chicago advertising agency and resident of Wheaton, Ill., he was a long-time summer resident of Pentwater. He and his first wife, Barbara "Barb" Weinard, and their five children, Jeffrey, Matthew, Susan, Sarah and Hayes began renting the "Tweedy" cottage in 1964, when Pentwater still had its own movie theater, commercial fishermen and fresh trout restaurants like the Driftwood Inn. After a decade of four-week stays, he and Barb built their own cottage in Garrison Park in 1974, on a bluff overlooking the great lake, where the family resided throughout the summers. Bill was born Sept. 16, 1929, and was raised in Oak Park, Ill. He attended IIT's Institute of Design, graduating in 1952. He studied design, photography and graphic art under Buckminster Fuller, Aaron Siskind and Emerson Woelffer. He began painting, and from 1950 to 1952 he exhibited his abstract expressionistic works frequently, including at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Los Angeles Art Institute in La Brea.
In 1952, Bill was drafted into the army, where he served in the White House decoding encrypted messages. His first wife, also of Oak Park, Ill., worked in the Pentagon as a secretary. Having married a year earlier, it was during this time that they began their family.
Following an honorable discharge from the army, Bill began work in the advertising field. He was hired as an art director by Leo Burnett Co. in 1959 and later became a creative director, the first to be promoted in Chicago for what was then considered a writer's position. He became a vice president of the agency in 1973. He was involved in many iconic ad campaigns, including Phillip Morris' "Marlboro Man," Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co.'s "you only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get," and United Airline's "fly the friendly skies of United."
In 1985, Barb died at home in St. Charles, Ill., and was buried in the Pentwater Cemetery, along with their sixth child, Ross, who died following birth in 1958 and was re-interred. In 1988, Bill met Elizabeth "Betsy" Long of St. Charles, Ill., a critical-care nurse, married her, and in 1990, having retired, moved with her to Scottsdale, Ariz. But they returned to the family cottage every year to spend the summer and early fall in Pentwater. During his long retirement, Bill was involved in several volunteer organizations, for which he often wrote advertising campaigns pro bono. He also returned to painting, creating scores of works.
Bill is survived by his wife, Betsy; his five children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; and his sister, Nadine Fisher. A private memorial service is scheduled in Pentwater June 21. Regards will be gratefully received by his wife at 7328 E. Rockview Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85266. Contributions may be made in Bill's memory to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ, 85014.
Bill loved Pentwater and its people and the great lake, which he swam every day he was there. As Betsy has had inscribed on his cross, he is even now taking "a wonderful swim, to where Lake Michigan meets Heaven" - which, presumably, is not far off Pentwater's shore.
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Fisher-Gunn Families Genealogy
1929 - 2014 (84 years)
