Roselee Bundy
July 28, 1951 – March 17, 2021
No service is being planned at this time. Roselee’s cremated remains will be scattered in Alaska by her family. Memorial contributions may be given to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, in c/o the funeral home.
Obituary
Age 69, passed away on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Rose was born in Tokyo, Japan, on August 28, 1951, the daughter of Delbert and Hiroko (Komura) Bundy. Rose earned her bachelor of arts degree, master of arts degree and her doctorate from the University of Chicago. She was professor of East Asian Studies at Kalamazoo College since 1991. She was well-known for her academic theses and interpretations of East Asian literary works and received the 2009 Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship Award for Excellence in Scholarship in recognition of her outstanding achievement in research and publication. She was married to Eric Darwin Hansen who preceded her in death on March 28, 2001. Rose is survived by her step-children, Brita English of Indianapolis, IN, Erica (Greg) Eding of Zeeland and Kirsten (Steve) Lamper of Eugene, OR; step-grandchildren, Coby, Brendyn, Gerrit, Rileigh, Evan, and Audra; two nieces; and countless friends, many of whom she had touched as a role model and mentor in the classroom. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and siblings.
I taught with Rose for several years, including taking two groups of students to Japan on summer courses. She cared so much for her students and I have fond memories of our time teaching together.
I had great respect for Rose Bundy as a colleague, and truly enjoyed working with her at Kalamazoo College. In was proud to be a member of her “retiring class” of 2018.
To all of Rose’s family and friends, Please accept my sincerest condolences on Rose Bundy’s passing. She was a wonderful, conscientious and professional colleague who inspired many students. She is in my thoughts.
Rose was a cherished and admired colleague. Her scholarly publications remain with us as a legacy of her insight, wisdom, and generosity. To encounter her at any academic gathering was to encounter a warm smile and an ever-gracious presence. Her absence from such settings will be sorely missed.
Fellow graduate students at the University of Chicago, we sadly lost touch until a few years ago following her diagnosis. Always one to understate her own achievements, she was a highly regarded, meticulous scholar-critic of premodern Japanese literature. During her illness, Rose continued to publish articles in her specialty, as well as produce wonderful translations of modern works by Tsushima Yuki and others until the very end of her life. What especially touched me was what I could discern was an abiding love for her husband and the love of nature that they had shared so deeply.
In my capacity as Japanese studies librarian at the University of Chicago, I had the pleasure of working with her for the last five years through assisting her with her research questions. I will miss receiving emails from her in Japanese. She was working on an article, so I hope that she finished it and that it will be published. She was also so generous as to arrange donations of her book collection to several university libraries in North America. My sincere condolences.
Professor Bundy was my Japanese professor at K College and she introduced me to much of Japan and it’s culture in a patient and thoughtful way. She was a soft spoken teacher who was always popular with her students, and I feel privileged to have learned so much from her.
Rose was a very kind and sweet person. I remember spending time with her at birthday parties for the kids. She always had a smile and was easy to talk to. She will be missed.
I worked with Rose-sensei for the Midwest Japan Seminar. She also served as a visiting professor of Japanese at Carleton in the winter term of 2005 when I was on leave. My final in-person conversation with sensei was at the MJS held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; it must have been 2014 or 2015. She was drinking Japanese green tea bland during the seminar and I said to her that it looks good. She said that she orders the bundle at Amazon. She has sent me several emails just before her passing that she wants me to be the sponsor for her new Tsushima Yuko translations book. I responded that I would be delighted to do so and she had sent me several original stories my way. She will be missed.
Rose, you have been my colleague and friend since your first language c lass fifty years ago. I have admired your determination to continue your scholarly work while engaged in heavy loads of teaching and the vicissitudes of academic life. I have admired your determination to do good in this life through Habitat for Humanity and your work in Vietnam. I have admired your ability to pass through the depth of grief for your beloved late husband, and to find solace in nature and in Alaska. We will all miss you deeply. Rest in Peace.
Goodbye, my friend. You were my friend for as long as anyone in Kalamazoo, and acted as an aunt to my children. We will miss you.
I first met Rose on a service project in Denali National Park in Alaska. She was very quiet and I was worried she wasn’t having a good time but when I asked her about it she told me that she was in fact having a blast! In the years since I’ve been lucky enough to do many more service projects with her. Rose’s kindness, happy smile and adventurous spirit was always contagious. I will miss her terribly. Rest in peace Rose.
My husband Harry and Rose became fast friends when Rose first came to Alaska to volunteer in the wilderness. We grew to love Rose and looked forward to her yearly visits. Our hearts are saddened by this news and we will keep memories of her alive when we are out in her favorite areas. Sincerely, Timi and Harry Tullis
Remembering camping and city trips, dinner and walks in the woods or the ‘hood – we go back a long way, my friend. It was good to stay in touch across the miles, and I’m proud you made and beat your goal to vote last fall. To the family: I’ve made a contribution in Rose’s name to the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund at movementhub.org to support intersectional social justice and civic engagement of Asian Americans.
It was an honor and privilege to have known Dr. Bundy. I first met Dr. Bundy at Kalamazoo College where she was a long time beloved professor. As a student at Kalamazoo, I benefited greatly from her generosity both on and off campus. She will be missed.
It was an honor to have Bundy sensei as a constant guide during my time at K, from teaching my freshman seminar to advising my senior thesis. Bundy sensei was the picture of calm and collected, outwardly stoic and stern. But she was amazingly kind and patient, with a sense of humor that would often catch her students unaware. Thank you sensei for everything you taught us. You will be missed and remembered fondly.