Barbara “Bobbie” Jean Gundersen of the Bronx, NYC, left to join her family on a park bench in heaven on July 9th, 2026, from her home in Seminole, FL. Born to Marion Lucille and Rene Phillipe Gentsch on January 10th, 1943, Bobbie was a kind, caring soul who never met anyone she couldn’t talk to. She spent time working at the United Nations in New York City and as a Justice of the Peace for the Clearwater Courthouse before retiring to Seminole, spending the last years of her life living happily with her daughter and grandson.
Bobbie was full of faith, creativity, and joy all throughout her life. A devoted Catholic, she was dedicated to walking in Jesus’ path and giving love to all who needed it. In early retirement she spent much of her time crafting embroidered and die-cut greeting cards for her friends and family, always with a deeply personal message to share. As the unofficial family historian, she made sure that the stories, sorrows and celebrations of her relatives would be remembered for future generations, and leaving behind a legacy worth preserving.
Bobbie was a stellar sister, mother, grandmother, friend and confidant. She had nothing but love and laughter in her heart, and the world shone brighter with her in it. She is survived by her beloved sister, Eileen Monahan; her devoted daughter, Nora (Jeanmarie) Quinn; her loving grandson, Izzy Quinn; and three very needy cats (especially her favorite, Persephone). In lieu of flowers, Bobbie would wish for everyone to spread a little kindness and enjoy a glass of wine with someone they love!
2 Responses
I will miss Bobbie so much. She was a second mother to me since I was a child, as her daughter, Nora and I have been best friends since elementary school. I loved having coffee with her on my frequent visits to my hometown. We enjoyed lots of laughs, shows on Netflix, getting up early, playing with the cats, pizza Friday nights, and eating taffy last year. When Nora would go to the gym I would stay home with her mom, and hang out. She was a safe space and place for me always. I love you 💕 and rest in peace. I will always be here for Izzy and Nora. My son and I send our love to all who knew and love her. She was one of a kind.
My mom was truly the kindest person I have ever known. She never had an unkind word for anyone. She never left a room without asking if anyone needed anything – “Can I take your plate?”, “Can I get you some more coffee?”, “What do YOU need?” – and this was even as her vision and mobility were fading.
She was gracious to a fault and loved to commemorate special and everyday events. In the past, she did so with gorgeous, personalized, hand-crafted cards and more recently by waving a bubble wand through the air and watching our cats go crazy chasing the bubbles – unbridled joy for all of us!
I was blessed by having mom live with me for the last five years for which I’ll be eternally grateful. She was my parent, but she was also my friend, a confidante, a sounding board and my biggest cheerleader. I will strive every day to be a better person for her, for my family, for my friends and community and even myself. I will keep spreading joy and kindness as she did. Because if you can choose what to be, why not be kind?