Dr. Gary Warren Yunker, 64, died on Feb. 25, 2011 in Nashville, Tenn., after a hard battle with throat cancer.
He was the youngest son of Carl and Mary Lois Yunker, who preceded him in death. He grew up in Sweet Home, excelling in his studies, basketball and baseball, earning induction into the Hall of Fame during his high school years.
He attended Willamette University as an undergraduate. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in IO psychology from the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Dr. Yunker began his teaching career at the General Motors Institute in Michigan before moving to the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. There, he met his wife of 35 years, Barbara, and her three children. They lived in Winnipeg until 1980 when he accepted a position in the Department of Psychology at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
During his 25 years in Jacksonville, Fla., Dr. Yunker taught undergraduate courses in psychology and later business courses in the Department of Management and Marketing where he also served for a time as department chairman.
He authored many scholarly papers and published two books in his field. He retired in 2005 to enjoy his favorite hobbies, golfing, stamp collecting and traveling.
Dr. Yunker is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters Chrystal and son-in-law Robert of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Catherine and son-in-law Mike of Vancouver, B.C.; son Ray and daughter-in-law LeAndrea of Nashville, Tenn.; six grandchildren; brother Lloyd and sister-in-law Casey of Phoenix, Ariz.; sister Diane and son-in-law Karl of Tucson, Ariz.; five special nephews; cousins; and many friends.
The family has chosen not to have a formal service. A private gathering of immediate family members has taken place at Bond Memorial Chapel in Mount Juliet, Tenn. Cremation followed.
The family requests those who wish to honor Dr. Yunker’s memory do so by celebrating his life: Enjoy a game of golf, go out for dinner or share a bottle of wine with those you care about most.