Ramona Villar Dunn, 60, of Pleasant Township, died the evening of Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 at The Rouse Home in Youngsville, Pennsylvania of complications of Neuromyelitis Optica.

Ramona was born in Lackawanna, New York on February 20, 1956 to José Ramón and Mary Kowaluk Villar, now of Boston, New York.  She was the 1974 salutatorian of Lackawanna High School and attended the University at Buffalo on a full Regents scholarship.  After transferring to Daemen College, Ramona earned a B.S. in Medical Technology.  She would later return to Daemen in pursuit of a M.S. in Medical Technology with a specialization in education.

After graduating from Daemen, Ramona was recruited for and accepted a job as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at Warren General Hospital.  Although she intended to stay only a few years before returning to the Buffalo area, she remained in the employment of the hospital her entire career, holding the position of Blood Bank Team Leader at the time of her departure.  A member of the American Society for Clinical Pathology throughout her career, Ramona kept current in her field and frequently contributed to professional publications.  Ramona loved her career and could often be found presenting at local schools' career days or providing demonstrations for classes and clubs.

Ramona married Kermit Webster Dunn, then of Russell, Pennsylvania, on September 10th, 1983 in Victorian Park, Lackawanna, New York, and they raised two daughters locally.  During their 32-year marriage they resided first within Warren, later moving to Pleasant Township.  On the occasion of their tenth anniversary they held a co-validation ceremony at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Warren.

An avid gardener, Ramona won many fair ribbons for her flowers and ensured that her children could identify Digitalis before they learned of the existence of carnations (which she hated).  She also spent much of her free time reading, cooking, and baking.  Although she was reluctant to share her recipes for fear that her name would be attached to a substitution of margarine or imitation vanilla, Ramona's baked goods were much loved by all who tasted them.

Ramona maintained a visible presence throughout the Warren area.  She was the leader of Girl Scouts Troop 748 (based first at Saint Joseph Catholic School, and later at Home Street Elementary School and Beaty-Warren Middle School) for nine years and was the Juliettes (independent Scouts) coordinator for the Warren area for several years beginning in 2001.  She also gave of her time to the former Penn Lakes Girl Scout Council in other ways, including as regional cookie manager for western Pennsylvania and leader/administrator at Camp Birdsall Edey.  Ramona also shared her love of teaching as a sixth grade religious education (CCD) instructor throughout the 1990s.  She was dedicated to Warren's public schools, giving to them of her resources by donating the district's first Accelerated Reader system to Home Street, providing tutoring in reading at Beaty, and running the Warren Area High School Band Boosters Spirit Table at home football games for several years.  In addition, Ramona made many other contributions to the community for which she preferred to not be recognized.

In addition to her parents and spouse, Ramona is survived by her children: daughter Tara, Tara's partner Michael, and their child William Ramón, currently of Baltimore, Maryland; daughter Elizabeth (Liz), and Liz's partner Brian, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and stepdaughter Danette, currently of Bensalem, Pennsylvania; her sister Rose, Rose's husband Larry, and their younger children Gina and Daniel, all of Orchard Park, New York, and their older daughter Alexandra, her husband Ben, and their daughter Gabriela, currently of Columbia, South Carolina; and her brother Richard, Richard's wife Cindy, and their youngest daughter Kathryn, all of Hamburg, New York, their oldest daughter Jen, her husband Chris, and their sons Landon and Ben, of Buffalo, New York, and their middle daughter Gabrielle and her husband John, currently of Fort Benning, Georgia.  Ramona is also survived by her aunt Carrie of Chesterton, Indiana and her best friend Judy of Orchard Park, New York and her family.

Friends will be received at the Peterson-Blick Funeral Home, Inc. 1003 Penn. Ave. E., Warren, on Sunday, May 15, from 5 to 7 p.m., and on Monday, May 16, from 2 to 3 p.m., at which time, a funeral service will be held there with Rev. Marcus Briggs, chaplain, Rouse Home and Warren General Hospital, officiating.

Private interment will occur at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

Memorial donations may be made to Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania.