The death of Nonie Bunting of 448 Green St. Extension, Newcastle, occurred on Tuesday, May 3, 1988, at Miramichi Hospital following a lengthy illness. Born in Newcastle 61 years ago, she was a daughter of the late Donald S. Creaghan and Margerita (Buckley) Creaghan. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Newcastle. She was a graduate of St. Mary’s Convent, the Scared Heart College, Montreal, Columbia University, New York City, and Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario.
She was a journalist with the North Shore Leader and The Daily Gleaner in Fredericton. She freelanced for The Moncton Times and Transcript and The Telegraph Journal. For a number of years she was host of a daily morning show on CFUN, a former Newcastle radio station. She was a member of the Miramichi Golf and Country Club and an affiliate member of the Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. She was also a member of the New Brunswick Historical Society and the Irish Cultural Association.
She is survived by one daughter, Sande, of Newcastle; three brothers, John Creaghan of Newcastle, Dr. Mark Creaghan of Nordin and Tom Creaghan of Oakville, Ontario; several nieces and nephews. Two brothers, Richard and Alan, died previously.
The body rested at Adams Funeral Home, Newcastle. Funeral Mass was celebrated Friday morning, May 6 at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Newcastle, with Rev. T.J. McKendy officiating, assisted by Fathers V.J. Donovan and P.J. Stephen. Other Clergy present were Reverends Henry McGrath, J.V. Smith, B.M. Broderick, Robert Grattan, and Bill Brennan. Organist Mary Butler assisted the church choir with liturgical music and was accompanied by Eoghan Garvey of Dublin, Ireland, who played the selection, The Wink of the Sun, on the tin flute, to which Nonie Bunting had written the lyrics.
Honorary pallbearers were Nick Dolan, Paul Buckley, Sean Adair, Anthony Ward, and Bandon Morrissey. Active pallbearers were Patrick Creaghan, Joseph Creaghan, Tim Creaghan, John Creaghan, Geoff Creaghan, and Jonathan Creaghan. Out-of-town guests were from Toronto, Oakville, Montreal, Fredericton, Moncton, Chelsea, Quebec and Bathurst.
Newcastle Town Council held a minute’s silence during its regular meeting Thursday night in memory of Nonie Bunting, a local journalist who died of cancer on May 3. A columnist with the Fredericton Daily Gleaner, she also covered Newcastle Town Council for the newspaper. “She spent many hours in this chamber covering meetings and in my opinion did fair and honest reporting. One characteristic she always looked for was the good in a story,” Mayor Peter Murphy said.
Miramichi Leader, May 18, 1988, Editorial Section
Bunting Saluted by Town Council