Lawyer From Rye Dies At 37: 'Made Instant Impression On Everyone'

A lawyer who grew up in Westchester is being remembered for his outgoing personality and ability to make a lasting impression on anyone he met.

Charles Michael Kunz, a native of Rye, died on Friday, April 21 at the age of 37, according to his obituary. 

Born in Rye in 1985, Kunz graduated from Rye High School in 2003 and went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University in 2006. After stints of living in Nevada and Arizona, he eventually moved to North Carolina in 2011 to be closer to his family. 

There, he found his calling and graduated from North Carolina Central University Law School in 2016. Kunz then went on to begin his own law firm, Kunz Law LLC, in February 2017. 

He also met the love of his life during his time in North Carolina and married his life partner, Hope Alfaro, in 2021 in downtown Durham at the 21c Museum Hotel.

Known for his extroverted and "larger-than-life" personality, Kunz was known to make an impression on everyone he met and always had a funny joke for any situation, his obituary said. 

He was also a frequent traveler and flew more than two million miles in his life. 

Kunz is survived by his father, Charles Thomas Kunz; his mother, Diane Bernstein Kunz; his seven siblings; his wife Hope; and his daughter, Alva.

A service for Kunz will be held on Wednesday, April 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kehillah Synagogue at 1200 Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.