The community of Ceres is mourning the loss of Bud Runyan, a 24-year member of the Ceres Lions Club and the 2019 Ceres Citizen of the Year.

Runyan and his wife Cindy had retired to Yuma, Arizona but returned to the Ceres Street Faire the weekend of May 3-4 where he delved right into helping out at the tri-tip sandwich booth. Later Sunday night he was stricken by a heart attack and he died early the next morning at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.

“He didn’t look sick but I found out later he had been dealing with some issues,” said fellow Lions Club member Ken Lane, “but Bud was the type of guy – he’d never let you know that.”

Even though the Runyans were living in Arizona for approximately the last four years, Bud continued holding membership in the Lions Club, coming to meetings and events on occasional returns to Ceres.

“He missed being at the Lions Club tremendously,” said Lane. “It’s like he came home to die.”

Lane said Runyan was a “great guy … a quiet, humble man who would never highlight any of his work.”

A Celebration of Life for Runyan will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18 at the Tuolumne River Lodge, 2429 River Road.

Runyan was president of the Lions Club during the 2009-10. He was always involved in several Lions events and projects over the years. 

His extensive volunteerism had him working at the Ceres Street Faire, Ceres Christmas Festival, at the Stanislaus County Fair as a parking lot attendant, Ceres Relay for Life, Santa’s Breakfast at Central Valley High School and for the Ceres Partnership for Healthy Children.

“Bud was always serving – he had a servant’s heart,” added Lane.

During his over three decades working for Barton Overhead Door, Runyan employed his skills to help less fortunate residents with home repairs.

Runyan coached Ceres Youth Soccer, assisted in the Ceres Dolphins swim team and donated time to Ceres Cowboys Youth Football and cheerleading organization while his kids were young. For 10 years Runyan worked behind the scenes for Steps Dance Arts Center and actively supported the Ceres High School Perpetual Motion Dance Team.

Runyan also chaired the Ceres Lions Club’s Omelet Breakfast for 12 years. He also assisted in renovations to Camp Pacifica, a Lions Club owned camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth.

Besides his wife, Bud leaves behind a daughter and son and a grandchild.

The death is the third loss suffered in the Lions Club in recent months, noted Lane. Steve Sperry, who belonged to the club for over 35 years, died on March 4; and Dave Mendonca, a 35-year member, died on March 22.