Obituary for Bena N. Dunn
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mother Bena Dunn. She made her journey to the next life on August 24, 2024. She was the first born of Italian immigrants Giovanni and Anna DeNardo and grew up in Mckees Rocks/Stowe Township, PA with her two sisters. She had many friends but probably none as close as her cousin Lydia King who was Aunt Lydia to all of us. Mom eventually settled in Crafton, PA with her husband Frederick Dunn. She worked at St. Phillip’s School in food service for years while raising her 5 children and she later worked in the restaurant business. Over the last 15 years she has lived with her daughters who split time caring for her through her Alzheimer’s disease. In her 93 years, she experienced a full life which included times of happiness, sadness, laughter, anger, grief and love. She raised five children and we truly believe that she would say that raising us was her greatest accomplishment in life, always pushing us to reach our fullest potential and to succeed in our adult lives. At home, she was a driving force, a strong, independent and tough woman but also a facilitator always encouraging us to be more and do our best. She had a special gift of making the simplest things extraordinary such as watching the Joseph Horne tree light up, playing cards together, having family meals together, riding rides at an amusement park or going to midnight mass on Christmas. She really loved her family and she loved to laugh, was enthralled with her grandchildren and was always up for social events. Alzheimer’s disease slowly took her away from us over the years but that did not stop us from making memories with her and for that we are forever grateful.
She is predeceased in this life by her mother and father, Anna and Giovanni DeNardo, her two sisters, Dora and Angeline DeNardo, her husband Frederick Dunn as well as her daughter-in-law Jenn Dunn. She is survived by her five children, John (Kathy) Dunn, Lisa Johnson, Christopher (Tess) Dunn, Craig Dunn and Nicole (April) Dunn. She has 15 grandchildren: Kaitlin, Colin, Shane, Michael, Ryne, Alissa, Sydney, Anthony, Nick, Jake, Jillian, Jocelyn, Briana, Gabrielle and Matthew and two great grandchildren Kinsley and Sienna.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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