Bunny Simons, nee Willens,86,passed away Tuesday December 31, 2019 with her husband & daughter, Lesli, surrounding her with love. Bunny is survived by her husband Burt who cherished & was devoted to his wife of 66 great years, her loving & devoted daughter Lesli Jarvela, son Doug, daughter Laura, daughter Caryn, grandchildren Dustin & JT, grandpuppy Angel, brother in law Fred, nephews Brad & Scott, cousins Judy & Bob. Bunny was the precious, beloved only child of the late Herman & Belle Willens. She was the sister in law of the late Renee Polakow & Grandma of puppies, the late Star &Tiger. Bunny, a stunning redhead,loved life with zest, & lived it to the fullest. Along with her husband Burt, she was an avid world traveler with an adventurous spirit & loved to explore. Bunny had a long career as a special education teacher. It was so meaningful to her that she went back to school while she had three young children to get a Master's Degree. Even once she had retired, she couldn't stay away from teaching, so she taught troubled teenagers in a private school. Bunny volunteered with Burt for over 25 years with the homeless & on an Alzheimer's unit in a nursing home. She was President of The Friends of CJE, a court mediator for troubled youth, along with her close friend, Carole, established the gift shop at Lieberman Nursing Home, & was active, along with her close friend,Shush, with the National Council of Jewish Women. For many years she was head of the social committee, & directed two plays at Bayport. Bunny was a gifted & passionate artist and sculptress. She loved reading, book clubs, movie classes, skiing, square dancing, yoga & meditation. Bunny loved going to art shows, theater, symphony & ballet. She played Canasta. In her 80's, she taught Canasta at the Education Center in Longboat Key. Bunny was inspired & awed by nature of all kinds. She loved to hike in the mountains, to look out at the sparkling of the sunshine on the ocean with its ever changing colors, & to watch the glorious sunrise and sunsets. Bunny loved walking in every season through the Botanic Gardens,where Burt gifted her with the planting of a tree in her honor. Her insatiable curiosity inspired her to take continuing education classes. Just like her heart, her home was always full & welcoming. It brought her happiness to throw parties to celebrate joy, laughter, togetherness & love with family and friends.There were not enough hours in the day to do & be involved in all she wanted, yet she used every minute to do as much as she possibly could which created an abundance of magical moments that could fill a book. Bunny was strong, resilient, taught by example, an empowered woman, wise, empathetic, intuitive, a great listener & confidant. People were immediately drawn to her, thus she had an abundance of heart to heart, beloved friends. She was devoted, loyal to & adored her friends, & they felt the same in return. Family meant everything to Bunny. Her family was beloved by her, she was unconditionally devoted, loyal, & loving to them all. Bunny was an extraordinary woman. She was a bright, shining light, especially touching & gracing the hearts of so many. She had a big beautiful heart,a passion to love & serve, & was a magnificent human being with a gorgeous, radiant soul. Bunny will be deeply missed and will live on in our hearts.Good night, sweet princess, May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Resurrection House, Sarasota, Florida.