Patricia "Ann" Rasey-Bunker

Patricia "Ann" Rasey-Bunker, age 91, of Scottsdale, AZ, and Fremont, MI, joined her beloved son and parents in heaven when she passed peacefully, surrounded by love, in Scottsdale, AZ, on November 4, 2024.
Born in Fremont on March 29, 1933, to Rose J. (McGoran) and Harold A. "Skipper" Rasey, Sr., in Fremont, MI, Patricia Ann was the youngest of four children.
Known as "Pat" or "Patti" to many, and "Ann" to many more, she loved growing up and raising her own family in Fremont. Whether exploring Branstrom Park or the Fremont Public Library with her children, swimming with them at Crystal Lake and Lake Michigan, participating in the Memorial Day parades and Old-Fashioned Days, cheering the Fremont Packers on at their football and basketball games, or simply chatting with friends and neighbors, she relished being part of the community.
Some of her favorite memories included stories from her childhood, and she often shared them. While in elementary school, when her two older brothers served in the U.S. military during WWII, Ann happily became her dad's "helper" and constant companion in everything from fishing and exploring nature, to planting and harvesting their large vegetable and flower gardens, to building their new garage from the ground to the roof, and any other projects. She also loved to cook, bake, and create delicious meals and desserts. Ann excelled at both, much to the delight of her family and friends, and attributed her love of culinary arts to the joy of learning to prepare homemade meals and sweets at her mother's side.
As a young teen, her very first job was at Caruso's Ice Cream and Candy on Main Street, and she never grew tired of sharing the excitement she felt, getting her initial work permit, then being hired at the ice cream shop by Sam Caruso on the same day. Always a diligent employee, she worked at multiple local businesses over the years, including Samuel's Fine Food, Gerber Baby Food, and The White Agency.
Ann loved life, adventure, traveling, meeting new people, and devoting time to numerous organizations and worthy causes. A constant volunteer, Ann was a Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout leader, Brownie Scout leader, and Little League supporter in Fremont. Outgoing and friendly by nature, she also volunteered for myriad committees and events at both All Saints Catholic Church in Fremont and St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brunswick for decades, in addition to serving in many capacities at every school her children attended. She also volunteered regularly at the Crisis Center in Big Rapids, MI.
She passed on her love of animals and devotion to rescuing animals-of all kinds-to her children. In addition to raising the family's cats, dogs, goldfish, and occasionally bunnies, Ann took in injured birds and other creatures her children brought home. That included turtles, frogs, toads, additional furry friends, and on one occasion, an exceptionally long snake named Bernardo. It was then her children learned she was terrified of snakes-but she gamely welcomed Bernardo, too.
A graduate of Fremont High School, Ann continued her education at Muskegon Community College and Ferris State College while working full-time and raising her four children. Inquisitive by nature, she loved learning and took classes of all kinds throughout her life.
Blessed with a beautiful voice, Ann loved music, often serving as a soloist. In the Fremont Civic Theater, she performed in Arsenic and Old Lace, Spoon River Anthologies, and other plays. As part of the Muskegon Civic Theater, she was cast as Evangeline Harcourt in Anything Goes and played Pitti-Sing in The Mikado. Ann also played the piano. She loved Christmas caroling and singing big band songs while cooking Sunday dinner.
Her professional path was varied and exciting. She was the secretary to a Probate Court judge in Muskegon before becoming a social worker in multiple Michigan counties. After moving to Monterey, CA, she worked as an assistant to a custom jewelry designer, then. Completing classes at the Gemological Institute of America, she learned to design and create jewelry, which she continued to do throughout her life.
Later, while living in Arizona, she returned to college and received her degree in Pharmacy Technology. She worked as a Pharmacy Tech in VA hospitals, first in Arizona and then in Virginia, for the rest of her professional life.
In 2000, she retired and was excited to return home to Michigan. Once she was settled in Fremont, she began volunteering at the Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital and continued to rescue animals.
She loved exploring and traveled throughout the United States, with occasional detours to Canada and Mexico. After residing in California, South Carolina, Arizona, and Virginia before coming home to Michigan, Ann took great pleasure in having lived " from border to border and coast to coast", often regaling friends with her stories about similarities and differences she found between the East Coast, West Coast, the northern and southern border states.
Ann is survived by: her three daughters, Sharon Scott of Chesapeake, VA, Zoe Long of Raleigh, NC, and Yvonne M. Corrigan-Carr (Fred Sorenson) of Scottsdale, AZ; five beloved grandchildren, Damian Elliott (Lisa Lavigne) of Dayton, Maine; Bonne (Michael) Esbrandt of Chesapeake, VA; Shannon (Tim) Hanigan of Midlothian, VA; Patrick Laferty of Chesapeake, VA, and Lily Scott, of Virginia Beach, VA; along with two beautiful great-granddaughters, Dixie Anne Esbrandt and Emilia Violet Hanigan, her sister-in-law, Norma Anderson of Grant, and more than a dozen treasured nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Michael Robert Bunker, her father and mother, Harold A. Rasey Sr. and Rose J. (McGoran) Rasey, her brothers, Harold A Rasey Jr. and Robert J. Rasey, her sister, Mary E. (Rasey) Lynch, her sister-in-law, Violet "Tillie" (Tillitson) Rasey, and brother-in-law, Kenneth Lynch.
In keeping with her wishes, Ann was cremated. Her funeral Mass will take place at All Saints Catholic Church in Fremont, MI, on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM, followed by interment at All Saints Mount Calvary Cemetery
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