Nancy Comfort Gunn, devout Republican
Nancy Comfort Gunn, 83, of Lewes and Bethany Beach, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at her residence at Cadbury At Lewes. She was born in Washington, D.C., March 24, 1928, She was the daughter of the late William and Helen (Gibb) Comfort. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, G. William "Bill" Gunn in 1995.
Mrs. Gunn enjoyed the rare distinction of being a fourth generation Washingtonian, given her birth in the District. She grew up in the Cleveland Park area and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. Among her classmates were Virginia Sen, John Warren, newscaster Roger Mudd, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, financier Warren Buffet and actor George Gizzard.
Nancy graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Gamma Delta social sorority. She returned to Washington, D.C. and for several years worked at the CIA as a reference librarian while pursuing a master's degree in international relations at American University.
In 1952 she married former college classmate Bill Gunn and had two children, Kim and Tim. Nancy and Bill raised their children in Fairfax, Va. where Nancy enjoyed such activities as PTA president, teaching Sunday school, editing the community newsletter and serving as a Cub Scout and Brownie troop leader. When the children went off to school, Nancy acquired her real estate license and worked for Long & Foster in Northern Virginia for 26 years.
Bethany Beach was a part of the Gunns’ life where they owned a unit in Sea Colony before building a home in The Salt Pond where Nancy was the founder of the Salt Pond Book Club and a member of the Salt Pond Transition Committee. She was also a contributor to the building fund for the new South Coastal Library and became a volunteer. In 1996, she was elected to the board of directors and served two terms. Nancy's primary accomplishment was chairing the creation of the South Coastal Cuisine cookbook. She also acted as the chairman of reservations for the Beach & Bay Cottage Tour and was a member of the library director's advisory committee.
Nancy was a devout Republican, a voracious reader and a committed bridge player.
Nancy is survived by her daughter Kim Comfort Gunn Gundy and her husband Jay Gundy of Hudson, Ohio; her son Timothy M. Gunn of New York, N.Y.; a granddaughter Wallace Gundy of Portsmouth, R.I.; and a grandson MacKenzie Gundy of New York.
All services for Nancy will be private. Arrangements by Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Lewes.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to South Coastal Library, 43 Kent Avenue, Bethany Beach, DE 1993.
