Obituary of Robert Park Gruninger

Dr. Robert P. Gruninger, 86, passed away peacefully on June 24, 2015 after recently suffering a stroke. He had been a resident of Chapel Hill for 21 years. Bob was born in East Orange, New Jersey, on August 5, 1928, to Marion Crossett Gruninger and Andrew Franklin Gruninger. He grew up in Fanwood, NJ, and graduated from Scotch Plains High School in 1946, where he was president of his class and set a record for the mile run. Growing up, Bob was an avid Boy Scout and was selected a member of the "Order of the Arrow" (Scouting's National Honor Society) and a lifelong outdoorsman and adventurer. In the summer of 1947, he was in charge of the boathouse at the Silver Bay YMCA, located on Lake George, NY, where his love of boating, particularly sailing, was forever sealed. Bob and his family spent many wonderful summer vacations at Silver Bay. After earning his B.A. at New York University (NYU), he pursued graduate studies at the University of North Carolina and received his M.D.degree from New York Medical College in 1957. While at NYU, he enrolled in ROTC and served in the National Guard during the 1950's. He continued to serve his country as a Lieutenant in the Navy from 1959 to 1961. Bob began his medical career as a resident in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was Chief Medical Resident at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and worked at St Paul Ramsey Hospital before moving to Worcester, Massachusetts, to be Head of the Microbiology Laboratory at St. Vincent Hospital. He returned to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis in the same capacity and retired from Duke University Medical Center in 1998. For several years he served as a board member of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Bob poured his energy into many hobbies- golfing, traveling, sailing, woodworking, growing roses, among them. But no activity was more important to him than being with his family- his wife of 47 years, Sharon "Kay" Gruninger (née Nelson), their daughters Caroline Jane "CJ" Hudders (Neal) and Suzanne Mortenson (Doug), and their five grandchildren - Elizabeth, Lauren, and Matthew Mortenson and Nathan and Corinne Hudders. Nothing pleased Bob more than to load up the car and drive to Minnesota to see Suzanne and family, then on to Seattle to see CJ and family, then home again stopping to see various friends and family members. Besides spending time with his family, some of Bob's happiest memories occurred on the golf course. He had a large circle of golfing buddies and was delighted to have played golf in all but four states. He also played in Canada, Ireland, Scotland, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines. He was especially proud to have hit three hole-in-ones and to have recently shot his age. In addition to his wife and daughters, Bob is survived by his brother, Frederick Gruninger (Barbara) of Whispering Pines, NC, his sister-in-law Jane Satre (Richard), brothers-in-law Charles Nelson (Patty) and Howard Nelson (Mary) all of Minnesota, and 10 nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law Andrew Gruninger (Winifred). Bob, or "Doc" as he was affectionately called, touched many people during his lifetime. He will always be remembered for the twinkle in his eye, his wit and sense of humor, his love of country, and his compassion for helping others. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boy Scouts of America, (3231 Atlantic Ave., Raleigh, NC 27604 or the Boy Scout Council in your area), New Hope Presbyterian Church (4701 NC -86, Chapel Hill,NC 27514), or to a charity of donor's choice. A memorial service will be held at New Hope Presbyterian Church on July 19 at 2 PM. Condolences can be sent to the Gruninger family by visiting www.walkersfuneralservice.com. Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is honored to serve the Gruninger family.