Diana Bundy
Brighton |
Diana Bundy, 72, of Grandview, MO passed away on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. She was born on May 11, 1949 in Alton, IL to Robert and Elizabeth Schallenberg, the youngest of 3 children. She is the great-granddaughter of W.R. Eddington (Brighton, IL), who fought in the Civil War and typed out his memoir at age 92.
Diana is a graduate of Southwestern High School (1967, Piasa, IL), graduated University of Missouri at Columbia (1971, Go Tigers!) where she received her Bachelor of Science in Education, majoring in English. She taught in Harrisonville, MO for 3 years. In 1974, married Robert "Bob" Bundy of Drexel, MO. In 1975 she began teaching at Grandview High School. While her two daughters, Abbey and Brooke, were young, and she was teaching full-time, she completed her Master’s Degree at UMKC.
She was an inspiration! Mrs. Bundy taught Junior & Senior English for 32 years at Grandview, including some college credit classes through UMKC. For countless years, she helped sponsor National Honor Society, Junior Class, and also Lit Mag. She wrote and co-wrote grants to attend writing conferences (frequently with Esther Dunnington), preferably during summer break in Martha's Vineyard! She also co-wrote the grant for the first Windows computer lab in GHS.
She was compassionate. She was a firm teacher who expected students to dig deep and try hard. She filled the classroom with bellowing laughter, catch phrases, Tarzan yells, and cheers. As a sincere lover of poetry, she wrote as many as she read. She tried to capture the moment, a feeling, or experience - forever remembered in short stanzas. She encouraged students to write from within; use personal experience, heartache, and joy to create an authentic piece they could be proud of years later. She was passionate about honoring people's differences. She spent hours outside of school filling margins with dozens of helpful comments. She expected you to grow from each assignment and do better on the next one. The world has better writers because of her teaching and example.
She fiercely loved her family, and tried to give her daughters life experiences to appreciate the world around them. She watched most televised MU basketball and football games, and Royals and Chiefs games. After retirement, she enjoyed visiting her mother, family, and friends in St. Louis and driving up the River Road to look for eagles. She created gorgeous quilt tops and appliques. She looked forward to water aerobics 4 days a week, lunch at Andre's, watching Jeopardy, and book & poetry clubs.
She adored being a Grammy! She loved taking her grandkids to the movies, and spending hot summer days swimming, followed by spaghetti dinner. She looked forward to helping with school assignments, reading books out loud, playing Skip-Bo or Phase 10 and cheering on Dean & Trina at their numerous activities.
Diana is preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob Bundy, oldest daughter Abbey Bundy, and brothers Stan Schallenberg and Steve Schallenberg. Diana is survived by her daughter Brooke McNally (husband Patrick McNally) of Stilwell, KS. "Grammy" will be deeply missed by grandson Dean McNally and granddaughter Trina McNally. She is also survived by sister-in-law Ruth Schallenberg, along with nieces, nephew, cousins, dear friends, respected co-workers, and beloved book club, poetry club, and water aerobics "family".
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 18, 2021; with visitation starting at 2:30pm, program at 3:30pm, at The View Community Center at 13500 Byars Rd, Grandview, MO 64030.
To honor her love of teaching, memorial donations may be made to: Grandview Education Foundation, PO Box 546, Grandview, MO 64030. Note that your donation is in memory of the one and only Mrs. Bundy. Online condolences may be made at www.reflectionsmemorialservices.com/obituaries
