Goodbye and thanks to an old friend

by Larry Meyer
MRA Chairman and CEO

Fred Bunday passed away a few weeks ago at age 91. He had long since retired from the Lansing store he created, Bunday Furniture Galleries, leaving it in the capable hands of his son John.

As I mourned Fred’s passing, I revisited memories of difficult times for MRA and Fred’s solid commitment to good business principles.

When I came on board at Michigan Retailers Association in 1972, the Association had accounts payable to creditors in excess of $180,000. Other liabilities brought the Association’s total liability to more than $250,000. Fred was on the board of directors that authorized me to sign guarantees to the creditors, stating that MRA would pay all of its bills.

With the support and leadership of Fred and others on the board, we negotiated a payment schedule to our vendors that paid the entire debt over 18 months. We completed the payments in one year. All but one creditor accepted the terms, and the Association escaped being forced into involuntary bankruptcy.

It took a lot of courage and faith on the part of the board to make that commitment. But that was the type of person Fred Bunday was. Back when I was about 30 years old, I counted him as a personal mentor.

Over the years, I’ve developed friendships also with his wife, Norma, his son and daughter-in-law, John and Ellen, and their children. His death truly is the passing of a dear friend and trusted advisor.

Part of Fred’s legacy was preparing John to take an active role, not only in the family business, but also in MRA. Fred always wanted his son to be on MRA’s board, and, in 1979, that’s what happened. John served on the board from 1979 until 1986, becoming chairman in 1983.

John Bunday and his family were among the first retailers to talk about the unfairness of sales tax not being collected on remote sales. He helped outline the problem as it affects our furniture retailers, who are squarely hit with the losses caused by sales tax inequity.

Consumers use Michigan furniture retailers to research their purchases, then—to avoid paying sales tax—order the furniture from North Carolina manufacturers and outlets, short-changing the local merchants who all but closed the sale.

MRA continues to work hard to rectify this unfairness. We’re pleased that action has finally reached the national scene with the Simplified Sales and Use Tax Act bill introduced last month in Congress.

In 1980, MRA purchased our first building at 221 North Pine in Lansing. Fred’s picture here shows him helping us get the building ready for our new offices. Fred was 72 years old when this photo was taken, but he was not too old to dedicate time, talent and labor to the Association he supported so loyally for many years.

I join his family and colleagues in mourning the passing of an honorable and wise man.