Obituary of Bodil Ingegerd Bunting

BODIL INGEGERD BUNTING (nee Malmström)

January 25, 1930 - April 26, 2020

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, who died peacefully in her sleep on the afternoon of Sunday, April 26th.  Bodil was the second of four daughters born to Ture and Elsa Malmström in Malmö, Sweden. She was predeceased by her sisters, Ewy and Kate; and is survived by her children, Brenda (Patrick), Lisa, and Mark (Christine); her granddaughters, Zoë Pitman, Sofia Bunting Newman, and Eve Bunting; and her sister, Kerstin Sampson.

As a young woman, Bodil loved Paris, France, and spent time studying French at the Sorbonne while working as an au pair. She met her future husband, Pearce Bunting, in Nice, France, while working as a tour bus guide. They married in 1956, and she immigrated to Toronto where they raised three children. Bodil recalled these years as the happiest of her life. During this time she volunteered for the Junior League, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and enjoyed world travel and summers at Logan Lake.

Bodil was a creator of beauty wherever she lived, with a Scandinavian eye for decor, and a love of flowers and entertaining family. She loved physical activity all her life, including walking in nature, swimming, skating, skiing, and exercise classes. Bodil had a strong life force and overcame cancer twice in mid-life. In the last year of her life, she recovered from a broken femur and was up walking again in record time. Bodil will probably be best remembered for her sometimes bawdy sense of humour and the sound of her irrepressible laughter.

The family would like to thank the staff at Cedarhurst Dementia Care Home, at Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor, and Bodil’s personal support worker, Azieb Arefe, for their kind and loving care. A celebration of life will be held when we are able to gather.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to granddaughter Zoë’s day program, Harmony Place Support Services, through CanadaHelps.org: https:// www.canadahelps.org/en/ charities/harmony-place-support-services/ or the charity of your choice.  Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.