Abraham Harry Bunis

Abraham Harry Bunis was a devoted son, husband, father, and grandfather who served his family and community with steadfast love for 95 years. Family was at the center of his life – including his wife of sixty nine years, Janice, his four children, and his nine grandchildren and their partners.

A first generation American and proud son of Brooklyn, Abe was born into a Yiddish speaking household in Flatbush in 1929. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and graduated from Brooklyn College with a major in foreign languages. Abe served in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany where he was a translator. In 1955, he married Janice Roth in New York City, six months after they met on a blind date at the Bronx Zoo. Abe and Janice raised their four children in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and North Plainfield and Maplewood, New Jersey.

Abe was larger than life and lived each day with passion. He excelled in his work in food sales due to his natural ability to converse with anyone. Outside of work, he was a devoted father and community leader who served as president of Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange, New Jersey. He was a lifelong learner, earning a Master's Degree in Legal Studies from Montclair State University at the age of 74 and participating in a beloved writers workshop group for the past ten years.

A natural humorist and wordsmith, Abe penned essays, fiction, memoirs, and his famous personalized poems performed for his loved ones on every special occasion. He was published several times in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary section with priceless stories of growing up in New York City. He was also a performer who shined on stage in community theater productions in Maplewood, performed piano and accordion for family at home, and adored the classic American songbook and Yiddish theater. Abe had impeccable comedic timing and an endless trove of jokes, puns, and one liners.

Everyone who joined the Bunis clan felt instantly adopted by Abe and Janice. Abe was adored by his four children and nine grandchildren and their partners for his sensitivity and generosity. He celebrated countless simchas with family, including three weddings of his grandchildren in the last three years, one of which he officiated with love and wisdom. He will be forever loved, missed, and remembered.

Abe is survived by his wife, Janice; his children, Lora Wegner (Gary), David Bunis (Jacqueline), Paul Bunis (Melissa), and Michael Bunis (Shannon); his grandchildren Justine Bunis (Jacob), Nicole Bunis (Brandon), Jillian MacLeod (Julie), Madison Wegner Cohen (Evan), Ben Wegner, Jackson Bunis, Sam Bunis (Abi), Alex Bunis, and Noah Bunis; and by his brother, Morton Bunis (Anita). Abe was predeceased by his beloved parents, Louis and Helen Bunis, and by his dear cousin Dena Bunis.

A funeral service for Abe will be held Monday, December 2, 2024 at 11:30 AM at Oheb Shalom Congregation, 170 Scotland Road, South Orange Village, New Jersey 07079. Following the funeral burial will be at Beth-El Cemetery, 735 Forest Avenue, Paramus, New Jersey 07652.