DOROTHY L. “DOTTY” NUNIS

DOB: FEBRUARY 23, 1915

DOD : FEBRUARY 20, 2014



DOROTHY L. “DOTTY” NUNIS, 98, DIED THURSDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 20TH OF NATURAL CAUSES AT HER HOME IN KENHORST WITH HER DAUGHTER BY HER SIDE. SHE WAS THREE DAYS SHY OF HER 99TH BIRTHDAY. SHE WAS THE WIFE OF THE LATE FLOYD SAMUEL “SAM” NUNIS. SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER DEVOTED DAUGHTER, VICKI NUNIS, AT HOME, AND HER DEARLY LOVED GRANDDAUGHTER JESSICA LAKICS OF READING. SHE WAS PREDECEASED BY HER BELOVED DAUGHTER, JOSEPHINE “JO” NUNIS, HER SISTER, MABEL PARKER OF INDIANA, AND A STEP-SON, RICHARD SMITH NUNIS OF NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA.

BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF AND RAISED IN BROOKLYN, NY, DOROTHY WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE LATE VIOLA DUNN (NEE STEVENSON) AND LESLIE DUNN, KNOWN AS “BRANSON AND DUNN” ON THE VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT. SHE BECAME A KENHORST RESIDENT IN 1946. SHE HAD TRAVELED THROUGHOUT THE STATES, ASSISTING HER LATE HUSBAND, SAM NUNIS, THE ONCE WELL KNOWN BARN STORMING AUTO RACE PROMOTER OF THE SAM NUNIS SPEEDWAYS AND THE FORMER TRENTON SPEEDWAY WHO HAD ALSO RESTORED AND RE-POPULARIZED AUTO RACING AT THE READING FAIRGROUNDS AFTER WORLD WAR II.

SHE HAD BEEN A PROFESSIONAL DANCER FOR MANY YEARS IN HER YOUTH, TEACHING DANCE EARLY ON IN NEW YORK AND LATER TOURING EXTENSIVELY WITH THE LAVISH CATHERINE BEHNEY PRODUCTIONS OUT OF READING, PLAYING MAJOR FAIRS, THEATRES AND NIGHT CLUBS IN MANY STATES AND CANADA. SHE HAD ALSO APPEARED INDIVIDUALLY ON STAGE FOR PHILADELPHIA PERFORMANCES WITH THE FAMOUS COMEDY TEAM ABBOTT AND COSTELLO.

LOCALLY SHE HAD APPEARED ON STAGE IN THE 1950’S WITH THE GROUP THAT LATER BECAME READING COMMUNTY PLAYERS. HER MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE WAS THE ROLE OF ROSIE BRICE, THE MOTHER OF FANNY BRICE IN THE FIRST READING CIVIC OPERA PRODUCTION OF “FUNNY GIRL” AT THE RAJAH THEATRE OPPOSITE HER DAUGHTER VICKI AS FANNY BRICE. SHE IS REMEMBERED FOR STOPPING THE SHOW WITH HER DELIGHTFULLY APT RENDITION OF “WHO TAUGHT HER EVERYTHING SHE KNOWS.” SHE ALSO APPEARED IN “DEAR ME THE SKY IS FALLING” AT THE FORMER GREEN HILLS THEATRE AND IN THE ROLE OF MRS. VAN DAAN IN “DIARY OF ANNE FRANK” AT TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH AS PART OF THE FALL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOROTHY ENTERTAINED AT LOCAL NURSING HOMES AND VARIOUS SENIOR EVENTS.

SHE HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEEN A VOLUNTEER AND GUIDE AT THE READING PUBLIC MUSEUM AND MEMBER OF FRIENDS OF THE READING PUBLIC LIBRARY AS WELL AS DOING VOLUNTEER WORK AT ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF BERKS COUNTY. AN ANIMAL LOVER, DOROTHY HAD HERSELF RESCUED MANY CATS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND PROVIDED THEM WITH A LOVING HOME.

DOROTHY WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE ORIGINAL CONGREGATION OF ST.MATTHEWS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST IN KENHORST (NOW ONE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST) WHERE SHE HAD AT ONE TIME SERVED AS A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER, ENTERTAINED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, AND ASSISTED WITH ORIGINAL FUND RAISING EFFORTS FOR THE CHURCH STRUCTURE TO BE BUILT.

SHE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED BY THOSE WHO LOVED HER AND KNEW HER BEST AS A VIVACIOUS AND ENTERTAINING RED HEAD WHO ENJOYED MUSIC, WHO LOVED TO TALK, TO LAUGH , TO DANCE, TO PERFORM.

HER DAUGHTER , VICKI, AND GRANDDAUGHTER, JESSICA, WILL GRATEFULLY WELCOME THE LOVE AND COMFORT OF CARING FRIENDS IN REMEMBRANCE OF A BELOVED MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER , FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR AT 1415 BLEEKER AVENUE , KENHORST ANYTIME AFTER 6:00 PM ON SUNDAY, MARCH 2nd. DOROTHY WOULD HAVE BEEN PLEASED AND PROUD TO KNOW OF ANY DONATIONS FRIENDS MIGHT OFFER IN HER MEMORY TO THE ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF BERKS COUNTY, 58 KENNEL ROAD, BIRDSBORO, PA 19508.

“LIFE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE PARTY WE HOPED FOR , BUT WHILE WE’RE HERE WE SHOULD LOVE AND DANCE…AND FIND THE LAUGHS.”

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