Mary Ellen Dunster, 65, a lifelong resident of Waterbury, passed away peacefully at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston following several years of declining health. Born in Montpelier on January 27, 1950, she was the daughter of the late Burton and Janet (Carpenter) Morse. On July 9, 1968, she married Alan W. Dunster Jr. in Waterbury.
Mary attended schools in Waterbury and was a 1968 graduate of Harwood Union High School. Following her marriage, Mary accompanied her husband’s military career and upon his discharge from the service in 1977 returned to Waterbury to raise their family. Mary then began a 33-year career with the state of Vermont where she rose to a management position with the Human Resources Division retiring in 2010.
Mary’s life was defined by three words; faith, family and friends. A longtime member of Wesley United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women of Waterbury, Mary served in countless ways. Whether it was serving as trustee or treasurer, volunteering for church suppers, yard sales and funeral luncheons, or helping in the massive flood cleanup following Tropical Storm Irene, Mary was invaluable and inseparable from her dedication to the church’s mission.
Coming from a diverse and large family, Mary was dedicated to maintaining close ties and felt the importance of staying connected. A reasonable voice, a strong advocate and not bashful about sharing an alternate opinion, she truly was the go-to person for many family members. Her warm and loving heart, open-door policy, drew both family and friends into her life and that made her the happiest. She truly treasured time spent with her grandchildren and great-granddaughter.
Mary served and enjoyed other organizations. She was a proud member of the Waterbury Red Hat Roamers, Harry N. Cutting American Legion Auxiliary Unit 59, a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary, a longtime sponsor for several children through the Christian Children’s Fund and gave monthly to support St. Jude’s Children Hospital. In April 2014, Mary was honored for her significant contributions to her community by the Winooski Masonic Lodge 49 of Waterbury.
In her leisure time she enjoyed traveling, reading, road trips in her BMW convertible, bingo and dominoes as well as, in earlier years, bowling and shooting pool.
Mary is loved and mourned by her husband of 47 years, Alan Dunster Jr. of Waterbury Center; their children, Melissa Dunster and her companion Dennis Boyd of Waterbury Center and Rhode Island, and Alan W. Dunster III and his wife Taunya of Waterbury Center; five grandchildren, Christian McCray Dunster, Cidney Cheyenne Dunster, Mackenzie Rae Dunster, Kaleb Walker and Leah Faith Dunster; a great-granddaughter, Mary Arlissa Johnson; five sisters, Jean Dow and her companion Carl Payne of Waterbury Center, Cathy Cummings and her husband Frank May of Waterbury, Susan Fleming and her husband Leon of Bristol, Sandy Boles of Tunbridge, and Debbie Papineau and her companion Heath Perras of Morrisville; four brothers, Ronald Morse and his wife Debbie of Northfield, David Acker of White River Junction, Kevin Merrill and his wife Cyndi of Rutland, and Scott Morse and his wife Karen of Waitsfield; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Mary was predeceased by two sisters, Barbara Towne and Cindy Prosser, and two brothers, William and Robert Morse.
At Mary’s request, services will be held privately. For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Wesley United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 214, Waterbury, VT 05676. Assisting the family is Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com and the funeral home Facebook page.
