Lee J. Bunge

Lee John Bunge, age 76 of LaSalle, passed away on March 13, 2026, at ProMedica Regional Hospital of Monroe, surrounded by loved ones.

Born on August 17, 1949, in Monroe, Lee was the son of the late Chester and Elaine (Herman) Bunge. He attended Monroe High School and later married the love of his life, Deborah Grego. Together they shared nearly 58 years of marriage and raised two daughters.

Lee worked for 40 years as a parts man at General Motors before retiring. He had a lifelong passion for classic cars and was an active member of the Good Time Cruisers Car Club. He especially enjoyed driving his 1957 Chevy, 1989 Corvette, 1990 pickup truck, and Cadillacs, and he rarely missed a local car show during the summer months. Above all, Lee cherished his role as grandfather, lovingly known as “Poppo” to his grandchildren. He created many special memories traveling with them to places such as Las Vegas and Gettysburg.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Deborah Bunge; daughters Rachel (Jon) Stark and Tara (Scott) Tubbs; grandchildren Felicia (Harshal) Mehta, Carissa (Kevin) Lautzenheiser, Sean Stark, and Preston Tubbs; and brother Rick (Kathy) Bunge. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Tim Bunge and sister Karen Bijarro.

Lee will be deeply missed and forever cherished in the hearts of his family.