John W. Bumgarner

John W. Bumgarner, aged 65, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on February 3, 2024, while in Canberra, Australia. John is survived by his wife, Susan Doyle Bumgarner; their twin sons, John Douglas Bumgarner and Wesley Doyle Bumgarner; sister Lisa Bumgarner Thompson (Doug) and brothers Dr. William Gerald Bumgarner and Captain Gary DouglasBumgarner (Eloise); and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. He was preceded in death by his father, James G. Bumgarner and his mother, Dorthy Douglas Bumgarner. John was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 28, 1958. He moved with his family to Bartow, Florida as a young child and graduated as valedictorian of the class of ’76 of Bartow Senior High School. He received Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Northwestern University School of Engineering, where he met and married his wife, Susan, in 1981. He later completed his Ph.D. at North Carolina State University. John started his first job at a glider port in central Florida, where he traded his earnings for flight lessons, earning his glider pilot license at age 16. He was an avid photographer and racquetball player. John and Susan together took up birding and traveled to several locations to add to their life lists. John loved gems and minerals and fine woods and wine. His lifelong work as a Materials Scientist included work at several major companies, including Motorola, General Electric, and Intel, and universities, including University of South Florida, Stanford University and University of Western Australia. John and Susan lived in seven states across the United States, and near Perth, Western Australia, which John loved. His love of Australia continues in his sons who are beginning university in Canberra. A small funeral service was held in Canberra, Australia, on February 9, which was streamed online for US viewers. The recording of the service can be viewed online at https://livestream.com/iv/johnbumgarner.