Dorothy M Bunce

Dorothy was born February 13, 1939 in Jersey City, NJ, the eldest of 12 children of the late Dorothy Wagner and William Bodtmann, Sr. She was a Certified Nurse's Assistant and world traveler, as well as a loving and devoted mother to her 7 daughters. She was beloved by her 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Lawrence F. Bunce; her daughter, Donna Bunce-Aly; her grandson, Robert Cozzi Jr.; and four siblings: William Bodtmann, Jr., Richard Bodtmann, Jeanne Bodtmann, and Edward Bodtmann.

Dorothy was a truly beautiful person, inside and out. Always gracious, predisposed to laughing and smiling, she had a lightness and buoyance to her presence that would lift even the lowest of spirits. She found joy in the simple pleasures of tending to her garden; listening to the melodious voices of Johnny Mathis, Engelbert Humperdinck and Tom Jones; savoring a warm cup of tea at any hour of the day; drinking in the sunshine, be it on a cruise ship or in her own backyard; curling up with a good book; enjoyed the many Garfield episodes, movies and cartoons; reading and meditating on the Bible. She enjoyed fresh flowers, of which Daisies were one of her favorites; cooking a meal for her family; and going shopping. She could brighten your day with her gentle laughter and twinkle in her eyes. Her patience, humility, and enduring spirit will be especially missed. Dorothy displayed amazing bravery and ferocious willpower while undergoing numerous cancer treatments over the last 4 years. She was a true hero and was the heart and soul of her family, and this is but a small fraction of who she was. She was cherished in life, and will be cherished still.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters: Kathleen Bunce and husband George Pantozzi, Elaine Rac and husband Richard Rafferty, Diane Boland and husband Daniel, Michele Cozzi, Theresa Bunce, Anne-Marie Gagliano and husband James; her son-in-law Essam Aly, 7 siblings: Margaret Patten, Ruth Baitala and husband Peter, Robert Bodtmann, Carole Porto and husband Thomas, Barbara Acosta, Susan Pycik and husband George and Marie Disbrow and husband Andrew, her sister-in-law Dorothy Bodtmann; 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

A private family memorial will be held at a future date.

Special thanks to Dorothy's doctors: Dr. Naeem Latif and the infusion nurses at UPMC Pinnacle Oncology and Hematology in Lititz, PA and doctors Dr. Amol Narang, Dr. Christos Georgiades, Dr. Adrian Murphy, Dr. Mouen Khashab and the wonderful nursing staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and the Hospice nurses and home health aides at Bayada Hospice of Ocean County, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Mrs. Dorothy Bunce may be directed to support the Hackerman-Patz Pavillion at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Please make checks payable to Johns Hopkins University. Gifts may be mailed with a memo indicating that this gift is in memory of Mrs. Dorothy Bunce and on the memo line of the check indicate the donation go to the Hackerman-Patz Pavillion Gift Fund. Donations should be mailed to Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, PO Box 17029 Baltimore, MD 21297-1029 or make a gift online at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/kimmel .