Bernice "Bunny " Gantz

GANTZ, FISHER, LEFKOW, GOTTLIEB, COHEN

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 10/1/2012 at 12:59:41

Bunny Gantz of Iowa City slipped quietly from a life filled with color, design, and adventure on September 17, 2012 following long term complications of stroke.

She was born on December 10th, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York, to Murray Fisher and Rose “Billie” Lefkow Fisher. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn in 1938. Following graduation, she worked as a secretary for her father while taking classes at the Pratt Institute of Fashion Design and other art schools in New York. In June of 1941, she married Robert “Bob” Gantz and they subsequently spent the next 71 years of their lives together.

Bunny and Bob moved with the Air Force during WWII to Victorville, CA; to Abilene, TX; to Salt Lake City, UT; to Galveston, TX; and to Pyote, TX. During this time, Bunny held various secretarial positions. Bob and Bunny returned to New York City in February of 1946, after discharge. Their son Bruce was born there in 1946.

The adventure of moving from New York City to Lake View, Iowa, began in May of 1949. Together, Bunny and Bob established themselves in the grocery business in Lake View and participated fully in the life of the town. Their son Evan was born there in 1950.
Bunny was Bob’s partner in the daily life of the store. In addition, she participated in all of the events and celebrations that Lake View, a vacation and resort destination town located on Black Hawk Lake, celebrated each year. Summers brought the summer carnival and winters brought the winter carnival and Bunny was always involved in the arts and parade events related to both of those special times. Pink was Bunny’s color! She was also involved in amateur theatre. In 1958, she received an outstanding actress award for her portrayal of Rachel in the play “The Closet” which was staged at the 30th annual Iowa Play Production Festival at the University of Iowa.

After 28 years in business together in Lake View, Bunny and Bob moved to Ft. Myers, FL in 1977. Bunny immersed herself in watercolor painting and golf. She was an active member of the women’s board of Cypress Lakes Country Club, and to the surprise of Bob, she preferred watercolor to golf! She was involved with the Ft. Myers Art Association, and the Ft. Myers Beach Art Association, showing her watercolors extensively in juried exhibitions and receiving numerous prizes and citations for her work.
In 2005 Bunny and Bob returned to Iowa to live in Iowa City. They have resided at Oaknoll for the past 4 years. Bunny greatly enjoyed her watercolor classes with Jim Ochs at the Senior Center, and in 2007 was honored that her painting titled “LeFleur” was published in the book “InSitu, a Collection of Literary and Visual Arts from the Iowa City Area.”

Bunny is survived by her husband of 71 years, Bob; two sons, Bruce (Mary) of Iowa City and Evan (Susan) of Santa Barbara, CA; five grandchildren, Rachel, Sophie, Ellen, Jessica, and Jay; three great-grandchildren, Charlie, Vivi, and Rose; her sister Phyllis Gottlieb of New Jersey, and brother and sister-in-law Sol and Catsy Gantz of New Jersey. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister Joan Cohen of New York, as well as one brother and sister-in-law David and Doris Gantz of New York.

A memorial service will be held at Oaknoll in Iowa City in the near future.
Bunny’s family would like to thank her devoted caregivers at Oaknoll as well as the compassionate staff at University Hospitals for their care and concern throughout her final days.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to University Hospitals in care of the University of Iowa Foundation, or to the Oaknoll Foundation.