Nora Kay Bunn, passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at the age of 7 with her loving family surrounding her. Nora was born on September 26, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri to Brent and Jani Torrence Bunn.
She is survived by her beloved parents Brent and Jani Torrence Bunn; brother Jack Bunn; sister Reese Bunn; grandparents Rosemary Bunn and Duke Brown, Kenny Bunn and Betty Cerutti; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins that adored her and a friend to so many.
Nora was a beautiful & perfectly made mix of sass and sunshine. She cared deeply for those around her but she was also brave, confident and fearless. She was not one to shy away from sharing her opinion or asking tough questions. She had a witty sense of humor and loved to make her family laugh.
Nora’s deep faith and love for Jesus was important to her. These Christian values carried over to how vocal she was about love of family, friends, God’s creatures (especially cats) and being thoughtful and kind to others. Her best days were spent snuggled at home with her mom, dad, and siblings or on the playground with friends.
Another happy place for Nora was her school, Christ the King. She adored her teachers, friends and LOVED to learn. She was especially fond of a good pajama day in place of her uniform! She was a busy girl – involved in Girl Scouts, indoor & outdoor soccer, taekwondo, gymnastics and track. She also loved taking tap, ballet and jazz at St. Louis Dance Academy. In her spare time, she loved to swim and workout at the gym with her dad and sister. She also loved spending time at the family farm.
The last year of Nora’s life was unfathomably difficult. She was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in March 2024. DIPG is a rare, aggressive and inoperable brain tumor that primarily affects children. Survival is 9-12 months with radiation as the only standard of care to prolong life. Nora fought with the strength of a fearless, princess warrior. Her parents traveled with her multiple times in the fall of 2024 for a Car T Cell Immunotherapy Trial at Stanford University Medicine. The treatment was successful for a short time, but ultimately the tumor started progressing and her mobility began to fail rapidly. In the last months of her life, Nora would attend school in the mornings with her 1st grade class and then go to therapy at Ranken Jordan 3-4 days a week. Her RJ therapists were such a blessing to her family giving Nora not only confidence and strength but offering up much joy and love.
It was during her time at Stanford that Nora dictated her hospital experience to her amazing Child Life Specialist, Joy, with the goal of publishing a book to inspire and encourage other children enduring oncology treatment. Nora became a published author in the fall of 2024 with her book, “Sparkle of Love” about a brave and courageous unicorn named “Heart Lover.” The book is for sale on Amazon and to date has sold over 1,000 copies around the world. In between many doctor appointments, school, and therapy, Nora also fit in multiple book signings.
Nora was preceded in death by her grandparents Terry (Patricia) Torrence.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, March 13, 2025, in the Rose Room of Lupton-Millard Chapel, 7233 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis.
A funeral mass will be conducted at 10:00 AM on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 7316 Balson Avenue, in St. Louis, with Monsignor Mike Turek, Pastor, officiating.
A public graveside service will be 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Bear Creek Cemetery near the family farm in Patoka, Illinois. Please arrive by 10:45. The road will be closed north of the cemetery and parking will be available along the side and at the entrance of the Mack & Julie Payne residence. Please join the family with your prayers and relentless support by standing with them while they lay their loving “Sparkly” girl to rest.
Nora’s family has started a 501C3 non-profit in her memory. In lieu of flowers and gifts, her family is asking donations be made to their new foundation, “Nora’s Sparkle of Love Project.” Funds raised will be used to support other families fighting pediatric cancer as well as funding pediatric brain tumor research.
