Marya Jane Dungan

Marya Jane Dungan

May 15, 1939 - August 4, 2025

With sadness and heavy hearts, we announce the death of Marya Jane Dungan (née Dollenmayer). Marya, 86, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025 with her daughter and son-in-law by her side. Marya was born to John Dollenmayer and Ruth Dollenmayer (née Fadler) in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is survived by her sister Karen Vroegh; son and daughter-in-law Douglas and Courtney Mullins, granddaughters Kaitlyn and Cynthia; and her daughter and son-in-law, Leslie and Chris Badger, granddaughters Lucy and Hannah. She was predeceased by her husband, David Dungan.

Raised in Mariemont, OH she chose to return here after raising her own family in Indian Hill, OH. Marya spent many hours walking the trails of Red Bird Hollow and below the Bell Tower with her canine companion and "best friend" Sadie, playing endless rounds of golf and hands of bridge. Marya was also a long-time volunteer for the MariElders, the local senior activity center. She always found ways to plug into her community, from knitting baby blankets and hats for the local hospital and organizing flower arrangements for the center. When she wasn't busy with one of these activities she was often found in her yard, working in the gardens. Downtime was usually spent with a book or deck of cards, and always accompanied by a glass of Coke or iced tea.

While Marya's heart and soul was tied to her hometown of Mariemont, some 13 years ago, with her daughter living in Vermont and her son in Switzerland, Marya chose to move to Vermont to be closer to family. Shortly after arriving in the Mad River Valley in 2012, we began a search for her new home, which is never an easy task in the MRV. We looked at a handful of nice and practical homes for a single woman in her 70's, but none of them quite hit the mark for her. Then one day we received a call, "I found the perfect house!" When we saw the home she had picked, at the top of Ski Valley Acres, with a steep drive, steep walking slope down and steep stairs up to the house, we thought, "Oh, no no no…". But Marya was all in, this was it. From there, she quickly became a part of the MRV community, fulfilling her priorities in life anew – family, golf, bridge, gardening, volunteer work, and walks with Sadie.

Marya spent her last years in Shelburne where she could receive the care she needed as Alzheimer's progressed. Thank you to the nurses, staff and caregivers at The Arbors in Shelburne, VT who loved our "spicy" mom, and knew how to pronounce her name correctly from the very first day. Fiercely independent with a dry sense of humor, one always felt welcome in her presence. She will be missed dearly.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marya's memory to the senior service organizations where she volunteered for many years:

- Mad River Seniors in the Mad River Valley, Vermont (https://www.madriverseniors.org)

- MariElders in Mariemont, OH (https://www.marielders.org)

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, August 14th from 5-7pm at the Mad River Exchange located at 6163 Main St, Waitsfield, VT 05673.

Condolences can be mailed to Leslie Badger 901 Long Rd, Waitsfield VT 05673, or posted online here.