World War II US Navy officer, he survived the sinking of two ships, USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Northampton (CA-26) in the Pacific Theater. The oldest of six children born to a German immigrant piano cabinet maker and his wife,when he was sixteen Kunder was working in Rochester, NY as an apprentice cabinet maker.

Enlisting in the navy during WWI, in 1920 he was a student at the aviation mechanic's school at Great Lakes Naval Training Station. By the 1930’s he was an aviation chief carpenter's mate. He was a plank owner on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) when she was commissioned on October 21, 1941 at Norfolk, VA. On January 28, 1942 he was promoted to carpenter (warrant officer) and later that year commissioned an ensign. He was on the USS Hornet when Col. Jimmy Doolittle launched his famous raid on Tokyo in April 1942 and later that year on October 26, 1942 when the carrier was mortally wounded by enemy aircraft at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons. The heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA 26) went to the aid of Hornet and provided antiaircraft cover while attempting to take the stricken carrier in tow. Admiral William F. Halsey ordered Hornet to abandon ship and the carrier was later sunk by destroyer torpedo and gunfire, and the American force retired to the southwest.

Picked up by the destroyer USS Russell (DD 414) on October 26, Kunder was transferred the next day to USS Northampton. Just a month later, on November 30, 1942, Northampton was herself sunk at the Battle of Tassafaronga. Later he was a plank owner for the commissioning of the escort carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL 24) and on May 1, 1943 he was promoted to temporary rank of lieutenant (j.g.). Lieutenant Kunder retired in 1947 with 30 years of continuous service and lived with his wife Dorothy in Norfolk until his death. He was survived by his wife and they had no children.