Having lived to 98, she accomplished much, loved deeply and shared generously. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
Martha was born Dec. 22, 1924, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Cecil and Myrtle Sydenstricker. Her first home was a Craftsman bungalow in Armour Hills built by Cecil from a kit ordered from Sears. The sturdy home still stands and is occupied to this day, though the Great Depression forced the young family, which subsequently included Martha’s sister, Jean, to move to a cabin in the country and later to a shared home in Hyde Park. In 2013, Martha recorded her fascinating family history in a self-published book, “From the Dark Years to the Golden Years.”
Following World War II, Martha married handsome soldier Dale D. Bunch, who had boarded with the family. They were blessed with three children and eventually made a lovely home together in Overland Park, Kansas. Despite the busyness of managing a household and children, Martha returned to school at University of Missouri - Kansas City, earning a Master of Arts degree in secondary mathematics education and a Ph.D. in mathematics and curriculum. For her doctoral dissertation, she developed two sequences of computer-assisted instruction for mid-level algebra, which she implemented in a Kansas City junior high.
After graduate school, Martha was appointed assistant professor of education at UMKC. She went on to serve as mathematics department chair at The Barstow School in Kansas City and lecturer in education and mathematics instruction at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. At age 55, Martha joined the business world and worked as a programmer analyst for Hallmark Cards, a job she dearly loved. After retirement, Martha and Dale moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and, forever the gifted teacher, she instructed students in algebra at Glendale Community College. Following Dale’s passing, Martha moved to Dunwoody, Georgia, to be near her daughter. An intrepid traveler, Martha enjoyed numerous journeys to international destinations, including the U.K., France, Italy, Greece, Russia, Turkey, Germany and Israel.
Martha’s remarkable life will be celebrated in a memorial gathering by members of her large and loving family and friends on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 11 am at Sandy Springs Chapel. She leaves to mourn her passing her sister Jean Robertson of Round Rock, Texas; her children, Brenda C. Bunch of Dunwoody and sons Dale D. Bunch, Jr. (Tippy) of Los Angeles and Brian P. Bunch (Jerry) of Seattle; seven grandchildren and their spouses; seven great-grandchildren; nephew Reg Robertson (Rose) and niece Robin Robertson.
For those wishing to make a donation in Martha’s honor, the family suggests the Lifeline Animal Project or the American Diabetes Association.
