Henry Dunker Jr.

Henry Dunker Jr.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Henry William "Bill" Dunker Jr., 81, of Cairo died Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Oct. 8, 1926, in Cairo, son of Henry William and May Lee Dunker.

Dunker was a graduate of Cairo High School, received an associate degree in elementary education from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., received a bachelor of science degree in education from Murray State University in Murray, Ky., and studied voice at Asbury School of Music in Wilmore, Ky.

He taught 40 years in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois and Guam. He was a member of teacher associations, Illinois Egyptian Area on Aging, Geriatric Social Work Program, Shawnee Development Council and the Corpus Christi Little Theatre. He was commissioned a Kentucky colonel by Gov. A.B. "Happy" Chandler.

Dunker was a surgical technician with the Army Medical Corps in the Philippines during World War II, and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

Survivors include two brothers, Frank Dunker of Paducah, Ky., and Mike Dunker of Rio Dell, Calif.

He was preceded in death by a sister.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Saturday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Revs. Kelly Cox and Dee Hazlewood officiating. Burial will be in Old Bardwell Cemetery in Bardwell, Ky., with military honors conducted by Pulaski County Memorial VFW Post 8891 of Mounds, Ill., Cairo VFW Post 2649 and Louis Phares American Legion Post 178 of Villa Ridge, Ill.