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Will (my Bunny) and I met while working on a project in two different states. About 1 month after our initial hello, I accepted a job with another company that would actually bring us closer. During that month we spent every possible moment on the phone. One phone conversation actually lasted 32 hours. We talked about all kind of things. Our likes, dislikes, places we'd been and would like to go. We found so many similarities in what we enjoyed that we could not wait to finally meet face to face. On Dec 27th, we finally met. He was everything I had expected. Tall, blonde, deep penetrating blue eyes and a strong German voice. We were both immediately smitten. Dec 31st at midnight, Will got down on one knee at a New Years Eve hotel party and proposed to me.

Because the work situation did not work out to well for me, we moved back to North Carolina both with new jobs, a new apartment, and Will got a new car (since he totalled it in anticipation of our first meeting). We married 2/14/1997.

Marriage was not easy. Will had been married 2 times before and this was my first real long term relationship. We had our really good moments and our really ugly moments. Some arguments were escalated to yelling. But they were always resolved with strong heart felt apologies. It was also tough because Will was a contractor and was only home on weekends. Things got better in the summer of 2002. Life was almost nearly perfect. We both had really good jobs...Will was scheduled to work on a project that would make him a SME and could bring him to work from home...we were going to move forward in starting a family...our relationship was more solid than ever. EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!!

In the fall of 2002, Will took a crappy job to maintain his billable hours in GA. He worked all night doing utility technician work. He started to slowly loose his voice. He thought it was just a cold. My mom and I insisted that he return home for the holidays and see a specialist.

The specialist said that only a mass on his vocal cord could produce that pblm. That year was one of the saddiest holidays we spent. We knew it was probably cancer, but was praying it was not. Besides, Will had stopped smoking Dec 1st as a gift to me.

After a week long stay at the hospital (with me camped out in his room) we found out it was small cell lung cancer. It was sitting on the left vocal cord, wrapped around the esphogas and aorta. He was given 4 weeks w/o treatment and 18mos with. I was the one that had to break this news to him so that he was prepared when the doctors came. The first thing Will said was, I love you and to move own with my life when he died. I was so hurt.

The next 3 yrs were a challenge to us both. Yes, he lived way beyond their expectations. 6 brain surgeries, 2 rounds of full brain radiation, 2 rounds external / 1 internal chest radiaion, 1 subdural hematoma and a collapsed lung. Will fought hard to stay with me. He promised he would not leave me. He tried. He tried very hard.

This Christmas was actually the hardest ever. We all knew that this would probably be the last we'd have together because in the years earlier, he had never really looked sick. He looked so weak. The 6 tumors that magicly reappeared were growing rapidly and chemo wasn't working. He already had the max brain radiation.

One Saturday, my mom, Will and I drove to GA to go buy a new office and cd organizer. It was a long hard trip. Will could not walk on his own anymore and had very little appetite. But he insisted on doing it his way. He was always a proud strong man.

That Sunday I attempted to install the wall mount cd organizer and asked Will's opinion about the placement. I helped him up from the couch and walked him over to see. He told me it needed to be better spaced so I climbed up the ladder to change what he suggested. When I turned around and asked his thoughts, he lost his balance and fell backwards into the legs of an iron table. I was so frantic it was another subdural hematoma. I called 911 and kept talking to him. Turns out it was a fractured lower back and there was no damage to the brain. They said nothing more and sent us home. Two days later into the bed rest, the oncologist called to inform us of his tumor activity. The tumors in his head were so large, the chest tumor had enlarged, the pain in his arm was probably bone cancer and the now there was one in the pancreas. They said nothing else could be done. We were again hurt. The last 3 weeks of Will's life was spent in a bed.

Everyday I would tell Will how close we were to our anniversary. I'd read The Bob Dylan Chrlonicles and we'd listen to a variety of music on his IPOD. On Feb 13th, I stayed up to sing happy anniversary to my Bunny (Will) the first thing. It had not been a good couple of days. He was in/out and seeing people in his room. At midnight I sang with all my heart, happy anniversary...Asked for a kiss and hug. I lifted my Bunny and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed me and said with all his strength, he loved me. That was the last time my Bunny looked and spoke to me. The entire day, I looked at videos and talked to him while he appeared to slumber. Around mid-day, I went to change his undergarment and noticed an enourmous bed sore on his upper and lower back. The Hospice nurse said it would not be long. At 7:20pm Eastern,Monday, Feb. 14th, my Bunny left me. I saw the last breath leave my Bunny. To this day, I don't know why God had to take my Bunny. He was all I had in this world...the only person that really knew and understood me...he was my best friend, husband, lover and true companion in life. He can not and will not be replaced. He was and always will be my true love. Bunny...I miss you!

Mr. Wilfried Anton Guenther, age 55, of Charlotte, died the evening of his eighth wedding anniversary, Monday, February 14, 2005 at his residence after a 3 year fight with lung cancer. Born October 3, 1949 in Wurzburg, Germany, he was the son of the late Margit Anna Guenther. Mr. Guenther was formerly an I/T Architect of IBM. He worked and traveled throughout the world. Mr. Guenther was a member of the Henry Knox Field Masonic Lodge # 349 A.F. & A.M.
A Service to Celebrate the Life of Wilfried Anton Guenther will be held 2:00 PM Friday, February 18, 2005 at McEwen Funeral Service - Derita Chapel with Dr. Rick Felts, Chaplain of Lake Norman Hospice, officiating. Interment will be private. Steve Burleson, Eric Haught, Bradley Earl Labadorf and Jonathan Shurlteff will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Thursday at the funeral home.
Survivors include his wife of eight years, Shearee Killian Guenther; mother-in-law, Ruth Killian of Charlotte; cat, Moritz Pokie Guenther; and dog, Sasha Wilhemina Guenther.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospce at Charlotte, 1420 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 238204 or to the American Cancer Society, 6000 Fairview Road, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28210.
Arrangements by McEwen Funeral and Cremation Services, Derita Chapel 704.596.3291.