CHARLOTTE – Kevin Ross McBunch, 53, passed from this life to the life eternal on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in Charlotte, NC. Born in Houston, TX on June 23, 1970, he grew up in Baytown, TX and graduated from Ross S. Sterling High School. He attended Sam Houston State University, graduating with a B.S. in Kinesiology.
From an early age, Kevin was motivated to be financially independent, so his first foray into the work world was at a snow cone stand, followed by various restaurant service positions. After college, he followed his parents to New Jersey where he worked in Workplace Wellness for Johnson & Johnson. In the course of this work, he met and befriended several investment bankers who would serve as invaluable mentors and conversation partners as he discerned his next career step.
Wall Street was calling. J.P. Morgan was the first financial institution to benefit from Kevin’s winsome personality and extraordinary knack for connecting people. As his experience and career grew, Kevin moved to Bank of America to continue broadening his experience and acumen. In 2020, he was recruited by Wells Fargo to relocate from Manhattan, NY to Charlotte, NC, where he would become Managing Director, leading the short-term fixed income trading desk, a position he held until the time of his death. During his tenure at Wells Fargo, Kevin built a high-performing team, despite numerous challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic. As well, Kevin led the charge to integrate new processes that aligned with the investment bank’s desire to make continued improvements on the short-term fixed income desk. Kevin loved all aspects of his job. Many of his current and former colleagues are known to refer to him as a great leader. His absence from the desk is a profound loss to his colleagues.
Perhaps one of the reasons he loved all aspects of his job was that working in the financial sector afforded him the opportunity to meet the love of his life, Aicha Balla, who became his wife on June 4, 2022, after a 17-year partnership. Aicha and Kevin enjoyed many trips together, dinners together, cooking classes, going to sporting events and concerts and watching countless hours of Dateline, 48 Hours, and 20/20. They built an amazing life together through love, understanding, and supporting one another. Kevin was Aicha’s rock in every sense. They had a beautiful love story. They cherished family and friends and put each other first.
Kevin was an avid sportsman. As a young boy, he played football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He excelled in soccer, playing through his high school years and beyond, eventually playing semi-pro indoor soccer in Amarillo, TX. He was also skilled on the tennis court, ranked as “No. 2” on his high school tennis team. As a young adult, Kevin discovered a love for racquetball, advancing in the sport, playing tournaments and taking titles in different regions in the Northeast and playing in the “Nationals” in Houston. He enjoyed golf, competing in tournaments throughout the year, including one that was very important to him, organized by a good friend for the benefit of those with autism.
Kevin led his life with a generous spirit and a caring heart. He never missed an opportunity to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, or other special occasion with those he loved. He supported several charities and sought ways to assist those less fortunate, including, for many years, delivering Christmas Day dinner with his parents to those who would otherwise go without.
Kevin was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Levi and Helen Craddock; paternal grandparents, Ellis and Hazel McBunch; uncles, Duke McBunch and Roland Gressett; aunt, Nancy Brainerd; cousin, Timothy Levi Brainerd, and brother-in-law, Jassim Balla.
Kevin is survived by his wife, Aicha Balla, of Jersey City, NJ; his parents, Jane and Bill McBunch, of Annandale, NJ; his parents-in-law, Helen and Mahaman Balla, of Quebec, Canada; his aunt, Jan Gressett of Huntsville, TX; cousin, Mark Brainerd (Michele), and their son, Clay, of Dallas, TX; cousin, Todd Brainerd (Amy), and children Debi and Diane, of Fallon, NV; cousin, Kimberly Gilbert (Michael), and their children, Dylan and MaKayla, of Seattle, WA; cousin, Josh Gressett (Sheena Romero), and their children, Annika, Will and Navy, of San Antonio, TX; cousin, Liz Gressett of Beaumont, TX; sister-in-law, Marie-Eve Balla of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; sister-in-law, Rafaella Balla (Mark Fiset) of Ottawa, Canada; and a host of extended family, friends, and colleagues.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, 57 E. Park Place, Morristown, NJ 07960, on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 11 a.m., with The Rev. Mark Brainerd presiding. A reception will immediately follow at the church. (Parking at the church is limited. Street parking and parking decks are in close proximity.)
In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in Kevin’s memory may be made to Fill-A-Need Foundation, 111 Rivercliff Rd., Lowell, MA 01852, https://www.fillaneedfoundation.org/Donate/
or Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd., Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.
Kevin is loved and will be remembered every day. Every day. May his memory be a blessing.
Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.
