Margaret L. Bundy

Margaret Lynn Bundy, age 91, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2025, in Bellingham, WA. Her three daughters were at her side in the home she designed and loved.

Margaret was born May 11, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, the third of four children (Betty, Arthur, Margaret, and Judith) to Doris Elizabeth Bacon and Elmer Richard Thalin. She spent her early years in Chicago and moved to Itasca, IL, with her family in 1943. She graduated from Bensenville Community High School in 1952.

In 1955, Margaret married her best friend Nancy Broker’s brother, George Broker. They had three daughters, Leesa Broker, Linnea Broker, and Lizbeth Bundy. George and Margaret moved to Roselle, Illinois, and built their first home there. After the tragic death of her husband, Margaret was widowed in 1963 at age 29. With three young daughters to care for, she went to work at Beeline Fashion, selling clothes in the evenings, while her mother watched the girls.

On December 27, 1967, Margaret married Edward “Ed” Alexander Bundy. Edward had two children from a previous marriage, Barbara Cocat of Roselle, IL, and Edward Bundy Jr., formerly of Savanna, GA (deceased). Margaret and Ed founded and operated Bundy-Morgan, a successful real estate company, for over 25 years.

During those years, Margaret and Ed were active community members, supporting local business initiatives, sponsoring Little League, and helping to establish the Itasca Art Fair, an annual event to this day. Margaret bought a summer house in Lake Geneva, WI, which quickly became a gathering place for her extended family during the hot and muggy summers in the Midwest. Many crazy memories were created there!

With Edward’s passing in 1993, Margaret continued to run the business before selling it in 1995 and moving to Washington State to be closer to her daughters. She brought her love of real estate with her, and at 60, she designed and built her own home with her son-in-law, Terry West. In the ensuing years, she poured her soul and energy into her garden, adding a pond and bed after bed of flowers and plants. She spent many evenings researching garden ideas and seed catalogs.

Determined to meet new friends and become a part of the Bellingham community, she joined the "Newcomers Club" and the Assistance League of Bellingham, where she actively volunteered, crafted, donated, and built long-term friendships. She was a founding member of "The Giving Circle", a local non-profit that supports homeless youth and unaccompanied teens with housing services, hygiene supplies, and scholarships. She was also a founding member and secretary of the book club, "Bookies and Cookies”. In 2025, they celebrated 25 years of books, cookies, and friendship.

Despite loving Bellingham, Margaret didn’t like the wet, cold winters, and for several months a year, she became a snowbird in Arizona. She bought a condo a short distance from her beloved sister Judy. Together, they spent hours learning new crafts and enjoying each other’s company.

Margaret was a generous soul and never hesitated to give to those in need. She was a lifelong supporter of causes for women and children, giving assistance to the YWCA, Assistance League, Lydian Place, and The Giving Circle. In the mid-1970s, she adopted a young family, providing financial assistance for over 20 years and seeing the last child through high school. She ardently supported The Lighthouse Mission, Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity, and The Red Cross.

Margaret's generosity was especially profound for her family, whom she cherished. She loved to travel and took her children and grandchildren on annual vacations. She purchased a condo in Leavenworth so the next generation of kids could have a “summer house experience” as well as skiing in the winter months. For her 80th birthday, she took her daughters on a cruise along the Danube. She was always coming up with new ideas and adventures. Her mind was always working, and she was sometimes hard to keep up with.

Margaret is survived by her daughters, Leesa Broker (Leavenworth, WA), Linnea Broker (Bellingham, WA), and Lizbeth Bundy (Bellingham, WA), and her stepdaughter, Barbara Cocat (Roselle, IL). She has six grandchildren, Brett Newell, Leah Parton, Daniel Broker-Bulling, Fie Broker Bulling, Myles West, and Avery West, and three step-grandchildren, Lauren Grady, Chet Bundy, and Chad Bundy. She also leaves behind her best friend and sister, Judith Baker (Phoenix, AZ), and Judy’s children, Ken Jordan and Stephanie Jordan. She loved her nieces and nephew, Lael Knodel, Wendy Doughty, Jody MacDonald, and Craig MacDonald.

She will be laid to rest at Bayview Cemetery at a private family service.