We've lost another of the Good Guys: Kismet

Aardvark

Aardvark

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Joined
Nov 26, 2002
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(I've included the text of the obituary below, for when the link breaks in the future.)

Over the years of knowing Bill through posts and emails, my impressions of him solidified around: kind, caring, competent. His posts/responses were always something to look forward to, supplying good information where requested, and support where needed. Great sense of humor.

Miss you, Kis.


William Cunnea Obituary​


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Kis-Bert.png


Obituary published on Legacy.com by Saether Funeral Home - Blanchardville on Feb. 21, 2024.

William (Bill) Cunnea passed at home on Saturday, January 20, 2024, after a battle with bone cancer. In true fashion he hid how bad his health was until the very end. He wanted his family and friends to live their lives and not chase after his.
Born and raised in Chicago, Bill attended Loyola University - Chicago, where he would later return to teach photography, one of his passions. He had a lengthy career in business communications and was instrumental in establishing the Chicago chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). In establishing Spontaneous Combustion and Urban Folk Art Business Theater, he piloted the idea of role-playing learning within a corporate training structure. This allowed participants to walk through scenarios they would encounter in the business world.
When he relocated to Green County he continued traveling for work with a successful consulting business under the banner of Cunnea Strategic Communications and expanded his programming with Kinderthinken! a program that introduced middle and high school students to improvisational theater.
He enjoyed the open road and achieved his 100,000-mile milestone award as part of the Madison BMW club. An enthusiastic outdoorsman, Bill loved hunting and boating as well training his dogs for pheasant hunting. Over the years, Bill wrote many articles for Outdoor Wisconsin detailing his adventures with the dogs. Bill also partnered with friends to create a series of hunting knives, the production of which benefited the local community in Nepal.
Bill had an easy manner and loved people. He would engage in conversation with everyone and took an interest in their lives. And he loved to tease! Long time friends and neighbors recall many a time that he pulled their leg.
Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, William and Vivian (nee Greensley), beloved sister Judith Small, brother-in-law John and niece Lisa. He is survived by his elder sister Mary-Vivian, daughters, Leslie (Steev) Cunnea, Nicole Cunnea; grandsons Justin (Channell),Travis and Ryan; great granddaughters Aubrey and London and puppies Maggie and Tinker.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held on April 27, 2024, from 1:30-3:00 at the Blanchardville Fire and EMS Community Center in Blanchardville, WI.
Saether Funeral Service of Blanchardville assisted the family. Online memories and condolences can be shared with the family at saetherfuneralservice.com.
 
I’m so sorry to hear this! Thank you for letting everyone know Joe. I see it’s been nearly a year since he Walked West, wish I had known at the time.

What I remember about him was how kind he was to me (along with another forum member named Aardvark! 😉) when I was out of work for over a year in 2007 and early 2008. He sent me a small bear he carved which I have next to my computer, a huge wishbone, other little momentos just to cheer me up. I’m ashamed to say I lost touch with him after 2011 or so. I remember him telling me about hunting in the winter with his dog (“Bert the young/old dog” comes to mind, and that’s him with Bill in the picture) using a Mosin Nagant rifle, as I had just bought one.

I haven’t been on the forum much for several years, but will add him to the list of old fallen brothers here, along with Yvsa, Dick Singer (Sogguy), Rusty, Brian in Chi, Danny in Japan, others my aging brain can’t remember, and of course Uncle Bill.

Norm
 
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Svashtar said:
I’m so sorry to hear this! Thank you for letting everyone know Joe. I see it’s been nearly a year since he Walked West, wish I had known at the time.

What I remember about him was how kind he was to me when I was out of work for over a year in 2007 and early 2008. He sent me a small bear he carved which I have next to my computer, a huge wishbone, other little momentos just to cheer me up. I’m ashamed to say I lost touch with him after 2011 or so. I remember him telling me about hunting in the winter with his dog using a Mosin Nagant rifle, as I had just bought one.

I haven’t been on the forum much for several years, but will add him to the list of old fallen brothers here, along with Yvsa, Dick Singer (Sogguy), Brian in Chi, others my aging brain can’t remember, and of course Uncle Bill.

Norm
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Thank you, Norm. Appreciated.
 
omg this...wow. This is rough. I didn't see who this was, but I just kinda...felt it right before I clicked on the banner.

Bill was my friend. We lost touch some time back as life got in the way (my fault, not his), but he always looked after me. Always took me in under his wing. He gave advice...and on occasion a hard time ;) When my daughter was born, he sent her a stuffed animal. Of course it was a version of Young Bert, the Not Right Dog. My daughter still has "Bort" as she called him in her room. She's 14 years old now.

Bill was always kind with his words even when nudging me. He taught me to be gentle with myself and, of course, to enjoy every sandwich ;) He regaled me with stories about roasting potatoes in the even in the streets of Chicago. Years ago, he sold me a beautiful Ithaca 37 for a song. I love that shotgun, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. A couple of years ago, he commented on liking a little NAA revolver I had and asked if I would sell it. I told him no, but I would gladly send it his way if he would find more use for is as he had more than offered me that much kindness over the years. In typical Bill-fashion, a few weeks later I received a package. It was the HI Pen Knife that forumite Sarge carried to Afghanistan and kept on his person. For those who don't know or remember, Sarge was the real deal. Served in the first Gulf War and then again during the early 2000s. Bill sent me his knife, a gift from Sarge, to me in a presentation box along with a note as a sort of certificate of authenticity as to the importance of the knife for posterity. It is the most meaningful knife in my collection and still sits above my desk on display.

Actually, I take that back. The most meaningful knife I have was a version of the small SARGE knife that Bill designed to be made by HI. Modest as his was, I always called it the KPH (Kismet Practical Hunter) as it was way more at home on the your belt walking the woods with your dog. I had several of these and with one of them, the tip snapped off after a small drop onto the floor. Way too hard. It happens. I sent it back to Yangdu, and some how or other, Bill got it from her. He ground the tip down. Almost Nessmukian in form. He took off the wood handle and made a guard out of an old spoon. He then epoxied it into a smooth piece of antler and sent it to me. Why? Because that's what Bill did.

It's a melancholy end of an era. The closure of HI after such a good run is bittersweet. The lost of my friend sends a pang through me, because I had not been as good of a friend and checked in on him.

Smoke up, Bill. Keep an eye on us if you can....watchur ass, old friend.
 
Had several very nice interactions with kismet. Genuine good guy I sadly never got to meet in person.
 
Aardvark said:
(I've included the text of the obituary below, for when the link breaks in the future.)

Over the years of knowing Bill through posts and emails, my impressions of him solidified around: kind, caring, competent. His posts/responses were always something to look forward to, supplying good information where requested, and support where needed. Great sense of humor.

Miss you, Kis.


William Cunnea Obituary​


​
View attachment 2736402


Obituary published on Legacy.com by Saether Funeral Home - Blanchardville on Feb. 21, 2024.

William (Bill) Cunnea passed at home on Saturday, January 20, 2024, after a battle with bone cancer. In true fashion he hid how bad his health was until the very end. He wanted his family and friends to live their lives and not chase after his.
Born and raised in Chicago, Bill attended Loyola University - Chicago, where he would later return to teach photography, one of his passions. He had a lengthy career in business communications and was instrumental in establishing the Chicago chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). In establishing Spontaneous Combustion and Urban Folk Art Business Theater, he piloted the idea of role-playing learning within a corporate training structure. This allowed participants to walk through scenarios they would encounter in the business world.
When he relocated to Green County he continued traveling for work with a successful consulting business under the banner of Cunnea Strategic Communications and expanded his programming with Kinderthinken! a program that introduced middle and high school students to improvisational theater.
He enjoyed the open road and achieved his 100,000-mile milestone award as part of the Madison BMW club. An enthusiastic outdoorsman, Bill loved hunting and boating as well training his dogs for pheasant hunting. Over the years, Bill wrote many articles for Outdoor Wisconsin detailing his adventures with the dogs. Bill also partnered with friends to create a series of hunting knives, the production of which benefited the local community in Nepal.
Bill had an easy manner and loved people. He would engage in conversation with everyone and took an interest in their lives. And he loved to tease! Long time friends and neighbors recall many a time that he pulled their leg.
Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, William and Vivian (nee Greensley), beloved sister Judith Small, brother-in-law John and niece Lisa. He is survived by his elder sister Mary-Vivian, daughters, Leslie (Steev) Cunnea, Nicole Cunnea; grandsons Justin (Channell),Travis and Ryan; great granddaughters Aubrey and London and puppies Maggie and Tinker.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held on April 27, 2024, from 1:30-3:00 at the Blanchardville Fire and EMS Community Center in Blanchardville, WI.
Saether Funeral Service of Blanchardville assisted the family. Online memories and condolences can be shared with the family at saetherfuneralservice.com.
Click to expand...
Rest in Peace!
 
When you called the Cantina, Kis was the guy who picked up the phone... Thanks for letting us know.

He encouraged me a lot. Sent me books, I might have sent him a knife or something. We both had Spanish (Samco) Mauser. .. He ran hot ammo in his but it looks like it never mattered.

"Enjoy every sandwich."


AA
 
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