By Mary Kadlec

DCCC alumnus and paramedic Kevin Bundy, 33, died April 12 after testing positive for COVID-19.  

Bundy, who received his A.A.A. Degree in Paramedic – Advanced Life Support from Delaware County Community College in 2016, worked full time for Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and part time for Crozer-Chester Hospital. 

Bundy’s last shift was April 1 after which he became ill and was hospitalized at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital on April 7. 

“We are heartbroken over the loss of Kevin Bundy, a valued member of our paramedic team and the Mercy Fitzgerald family,” Mercy Catholic Medical Center President Chris Cullom told the Delaware County Daily Times. “Kevin’s commitment to service and to his community, especially during these unimaginably trying times, is an inspiration to us all. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and his Mercy family.”

After receiving the news, DCCC President Dr. L. Joy Gates Black sent a letter alerting the college community.

“After graduating from the Delaware County Community College and starting his career, Kevin came back to the College to talk to new students studying to go into the paramedic profession,” Gates Black said. “I am sure that all of us will keep Kevin and his family in our prayers and we will always remember Kevin as one of the many selfless heroes who put the needs of others before all else.”

Elaine Karr Remington, DCCC’s director of Emergency Services Education, recalled how receptive Bundy was to her recommended strategies for improving his study skills when he first began attending classes at DCCC. “I don’t think he watched TV for the rest of his time at DCCC,” Remington said. “He was born to be a paramedic!”

Paramedic program adjunct professor Bruce Egan remembers Bundy as a student who “worked extremely hard to obtain his personal and academic goals.” 

“Kevin was well-liked by his classmates and professors and represented the paramedic program and Delaware County Community College with honor and dignity,” Egan added. 

“His easy-going personality and never-ending smile were his trademarks,” Remington said. “But underneath that, Kev was a man who worked to constantly learn, improve his skills and better himself as a paramedic.”

“Every one that knew him said he had a great sense of humor, was jovial, and cared,” Delaware County’s Department of Emergency Services Director Tim Boyce told Channel 6 Action News. 

According to various news sources, Emergency Services officials are working to classify his passing as a line-of-duty death. 

Like all of Bundy’s coworkers, supervisors and former DCCC instructors, Remington said she is having a difficult time processing Bundy’s death. “We hear a lot about how instructors make a difference in a student’s life, but in this case, I can honestly say that Kevin Bundy made a big impact in my life,” she explained. “I watched him come alive as he learned how to become a paramedic, unlike any other student in my teaching career. His transformation from start to finish was amazing. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of that process, along with many other instructors. Kevin leaves behind many broken hearts in his EMS family. But we know he’ll be watching from above and keeping us safe.”

Contact Mary Kadlec at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu