Remembering the Life & Legacy of Bob Bundy

USTA Missouri Valley recently lost a local tennis legend. Bob Bundy of Topeka, Kan. passed away on June 13, 2022 at the age of 83. Bundy grew up in Ottawa, Kan., where he played football, baseball, basketball and track & field, but notably not tennis. His tennis career started after three years of service in the Air Force. Once he got started, though, it was full speed ahead with tennis.

Bundy played and promoted the game of tennis in Topeka for more than 55 years after his stint in the Air Force. During that time, he captained more than 100 USTA League teams and led more than 30 teams to USTA League National Championships.  

Bundy also started a group called “Bundy’s Bums,” which was a gathering of League players to promote camaraderie and friendly competition. For more than 30 years, the group met at Wood Valley (now Genesis Wood Valley) for some friendly doubles competition. 

USTA Missouri Valley awarded Bundy a Gold Star Award in 2020 for his numerous contributions to tennis throughout his life. USTA Kansas also named him as the winner of the Outstanding Contributor to USTA Leagues Award in 2015. He received the same award from the section in 2020.

Everyone in USTA Missouri Valley, along with the rest of the tennis world, will greatly miss Bundy, both on and off the court.

He is survived by his wife, Glenda, their three children Cynthia Coates, Robert Bundy and Christopher Strasser, along with six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. To read his obituary, please click here.