Jacqueline "Jacque" Ryan

JACQUELINE BRUNENI RYAN (formerly BARTELS) passed away peacefully at home in West Des Moines, Iowa, on December 18 at the age of 93. Jacque was raised in Rockford, IL and earned a B.A. from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL, where she was a proud member of Chi Omega Sorority. She married Tom Bartels in Rockford in 1955 and they raised three children. The marriage ended in divorce in 1983.

Jacque was employed and also active as a volunteer in Rockford. She went from teaching preschool and second grade, to substitute teaching, and eventually to working for the Rockford Register Star. She volunteered with Junior League, the hospital auxiliary, and the Rockford Women's Club. She concluded her time in Rockford working for Milestone, a facility for developmentally disabled adults.

In 1987, she married Ben Ryan, Jr. and moved to his home town of East Moline, IL. There, she served as Vice President of Personnel and Training at Metrobank for 15 years. When the marriage ended in 2005, she moved to Urbandale, IA, since two of her children were in the Des Moines area.

After her retirement, Jacque continued her many artistic pursuits, from quilting to jewelry making to knitting, which she especially enjoyed doing on lunch dates with dear friend Jean Schweizer. She spent her final years at The Lodge, independent senior living, in West Des Moines, where she made many new friends and particularly enjoyed becoming, as her kids said, "a pool shark", playing in tournaments with other women.

Jacque is survived by her son, Steven Bartels (Pam) of West Des Moines; daughter Lise Melton, of Des Moines; and daughter Nancy Kunkel (Joe) of Richmond, Virginia; by grandchildren Aleasha Dodds (Mike) of Fort Myers, FL; Vincent Anderson of Des Moines; Daniel Bartels, West Des Moines, Jessica Siems, of Cedar Falls, MacKinzie Leffler (Rocky) of Arlington Heights, IL; Amber Kunkel Ren (Yinfan) of Paris, France; David Kunkel (Maggie) of Redondo Beach, CA; Rose Kunkel of Richmond, VA; and Faith Kunkel (Dewi Smith) of Arlington, VA; and by great-grandchildren Ella and Audrey Dodds, Kolton and Josie Siems, Eve Kunkel Provencher, and Sacha Ren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis P. and Grace Melville Bruneni, her siblings Joan Palmero and Joe Bruneni, and by son-in-law Greg Melton. Special thanks to caregivers from Home Instead of Des Moines, especially Sharon, Mary Ann, and Denise who were wonderful companions for Jacque these last couple of years.

A mass of Christian burial will be held on January 2, 11:00am, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines, with visitation at 10:00. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph's Indian School or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Arrangements by Iles Dunn's Chapel.