Nancy was raised in Pittsburgh, PA until her marriage to Charles W. Bunce, Jr. in 1957 when she moved to Butler, PA until 1966. The two then moved to Pueblo, CO and lived there from 1966-1992. Nancy also resided in Kingsport, TN, Fairfax, VA, Columbia, MD, and Jacksonville, FL before finally settling in Sun Lakes, AZ for her later years in life.
Nancy obtained her BA double major in History and Art from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA launching her into a lifelong extraordinary career in advertising and marketing, among many other equally successful endeavors.
From small beginnings as a freelance artist to a consultant/seminar leader for Professional Concepts Marketing and other healthcare corporations throughout the United States, Nancy’s accomplishments were too numerous to mention. Among them, she became well-known for evolving Ad/Art into The Nancy Bunce Agency, a full-service advertising company. She was truly a trailblazer in the community, infiltrating her advertising talents into the vast majority of businesses in Pueblo, CO from 1980-1992. Her logos were everywhere emanating her special brand of brilliance and style; some are still in existence today, including the city of Pueblo logo.
Nancy was a past member of the Pueblo Advertising and Marketing Association, Southern Colorado Press Club (SCPC), Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Junior League, Dream Weavers, Union Avenue Historic District, PEO, and numerous other groups and boards. More recently, she was a member of the Cabin Quilters Friendship Group and Book Club, Agave Quilters, Sun Lakes Cloggers, Iron Oaks Image Committee Chair and logo designer, Unit 36C Inaugural Unit Captain and founder/co-founder of the Annual Lake Diamond Luminaria Walk, monthly unit luncheons and happy hours which continue today. She and Charlie built the first house on Lake Diamond therefore Nancy participated in all unit functions and helped with planning, decorating, and welcoming all with her distinct talents.
Among her countless awards and accolades, she was a recipient of the Who’s Who Outstanding American Women, SCPC Person of the Year (1980), Kimberly Clark National Award for Excellence in Graphic Design, McEachern National Award for Hospital Public Relations Campaigns, quilt block design awards, and art show/publication cover page awards for her paintings. Nancy even illustrated the Hi-Fashion Sewing and Tailoring Book and Pueblo Junior League Cookbook.
Nancy lectured at regional and national dental conventions and numerous advertising seminars and workshops. She was a highly respected Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern Colorado (now CSU-P) Mass Communications Department, skilled account executive, and creative savant infamous for her brilliance, talents, intense attention to detail and loving touches. Her talents led to designing hundreds of logos for local and national companies including the IronOaks neighborhood of Sun Lakes and left an amazing legacy of her creative genius in the communities where she lived, worked, and volunteered. Thankfully we have the archives of her talents as her style and passion live within them.
Nancy enthusiastically created elaborate gourmet gift basket concepts and illustrated catalogs for the uber-unique Seabel’s Gourmet Gift Shop, executing thousands of extraordinary one-of-a kind baskets for clients, corporate accounts, and celebrated people around the world with her signature style and flair.
She elevated Mr. Bulky Candy Store franchise offerings with her creative basket design skills (Kingsport, TN; Fairfax, VA; Columbia, MD) to top of the company awards garnering the attention of owner/former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith.
Nancy transferred her coveted skills to American Online (AOL), where she excelled in customer service during the night shift and soon became owner Steve Case’s assistant at the Jacksonville, Florida location. Her leadership, creative skills and tireless hard work were honored with many awards and honors.
She was a voracious reader (especially loved historical fiction), expert proofreader, Thomas Jefferson admirer, Civil War buff, the keeper of family history, art aficionado, calligraphy artist, humble, kind, generous, selfless, dedicated, friend to all, fabulous cook, lover of cheesecake, chardonnay, cherry turnovers, salmon, avocado toast, coffee, animals, and someone whom it seemed could do anything. She was known for her extensive book club presentations, keeping up with the ducks and birds in her backyard on Lake Diamond, Wordle and other crossword/word game skills, and love of jigsaw puzzles. She was commonly referred to by friends and family as the most amazing, creative, brilliant person they knew. She never sought recognition but could not avoid it as it seemed everything she touched was a success. Late in life, she jokingly learned to keep quiet if she did not want to get involved and end up leading a project.
She had fond memories of her time at Chatham College (now University), especially being chosen as part of an elite group to have lunch with poet Robert Frost and earning the honor to reside in Andrew Mellon’s former study that was converted into a dorm room in his historic home on Chatham’s beautiful campus, designed by Frank Law Olmstead. Her roommate often regaled her with stories of babysitting for the Oppenheimers in Princeton, NJ.
She and Charlie loved to travel by car, and over the years visited most states and even traversed into Baja, Mexico to visit their daughter.
Even after all these beloved endeavors, experiences and rewards, quilting was her true passion and she finally enjoyed in her retirement years getting to create a bounty of beautifully hand-quilted treasures for her family to covet in her memory. Mumsey also looked forward to monthly family zoom get-togethers and the daily google photos shared of her great grandsons. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her as she left an indelible mark on our lives. We take comfort in knowing she is at peace and was surrounded by love when she passed.
Nancy is survived by her husband of 66 remarkable years, Charles W. Bunce, Jr.; daughters, Martha (Greg) Thomas, Mary Oldham, Cheryl Gonzales, Karen (David) Sheff; son, Charles W. Bunce, III (Shanynn); grandchildren, Luke (Christine) Thomas, Thad Thomas, Taylor Oldham, Brady Oldham, Buddy (McKinley) Gonzales, Elizabeth Bunce, Jonathan Bunce, Stephen Bunce; great-grandchildren, Matthew Thomas, Caleb Thomas; and her sister, Patricia T. Marine. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her infant sister, Mary Ellen Teeters.
The family would like to give special thanks to: THEMA Hospice, Chandler Regional Medical Center, friends and neighbors in Sun Lakes.
At Nancy’s request, no services will be held at this time. A private family celebration-of-life to be held at later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Nancy’s memory to Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, VA; Neighbors Who Care, Sun Lakes, AZ; Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary, San Tan Valley, AZ, or to Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA.
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