Have you ever stopped to think about how the Isle of Palms became such a great place to live? Sure, there’s sand and surf, but there’s more to island life than having the beach at our fingertips. This idyllic community has been shaped by the contributions of countless residents, both past and present. And many of them are women.
Carmen Bunch
A maker of tough decisions
One whose name will certainly spring to mind is that of Carmen (Ramirez) Bunch, the island’s first (and only) woman mayor. The timing of her birth, just days before women earned the right to vote, foreshadowed the remarkable future in store for her.
Born in New York City, she joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, interpreting and translating communications between Allied Forces. She married another sailor, Jack Bunch, and the couple later moved to the Isle of Palms, Jack’s hometown, where they ran his family’s restaurant at Breach Inlet. They left the restaurant business after several years and went to work at the Charleston Naval Shipyard where she was employed for 22 years as a recreation specialist.
When the city was incorporated in 1953, Bunch had begun attending city council meetings. She ran for mayor in 1981, two years after her husband’s death, but lost to the incumbent. Bunch would, however, win the next mayoral election after serving four years on the city council. And so began her 16-year tenure as mayor.
Bunch’s moxie was put to the test when Hurricane Hugo blasted the Isle of Palms in 1989. About 95% of the homes on the island were destroyed or rendered unsafe. Roads became impassable and even the Ben Sawyer Bridge, the only route onto the islands at the time, could not be used. Bunch had concerns that looters would still find their way onto the island, so, with the approval of then-Gov. Carroll Campbell, martial law was imposed, allowing only civil authorities on the Isle of Palms. This decision caused anger and frustration among many property owners who were anxious to return home and assess the damage. Despite the swell of controversy surrounding her decision, she was re-elected to a second term as mayor, and after serving four consecutive terms, she retired in 2002 at the age of 81…