Denise Lynn Nunez (née Dowdy), 70, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Denise is survived by two of her three children: Courtney Austin (Joel) of Hendersonville, Tennessee, and Dane Nunez of Murphy, North Carolina, and her daughter-in-law, Khanh Luu, of Brooklyn, New York, wife of Robert Nunez, who preceded her in death in 2019. Denise was the proud grandmother of Jace, Natalie, and Aubrey Austin and aunt to Bridget and Shannon Dowdy. She is survived by sisters Angela Dowdy of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and Sandy Hamon (John) of Cumming, Georgia, and one brother, Scott Dowdy (Marianne) of Venice, Florida.
Denise was born on November 24, 1953, in Whidby Island, Washington as first-born to Robert and Donna Dowdy (née Naugel). She moved many times throughout her life but considered Florida her home state, although she had relocated to the Nashville area in 2022 to be closer to her daughter due to health issues. She graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1972 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Florida State University in Tallahassee in 1976. She married Tierso Nunez later that year and they welcomed their three children before divorcing in 1988.
Denise worked in various fields including social work, timeshare sales, real estate, banking, and tax accounting, with longer periods in real estate closings and titles. During her marriage, she and her family enjoyed camping and spending time at their cabin in north Georgia. In her later years, she mainly enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren, with other pastimes including watching movies and getting together with friends. She appreciated the arts and had traveled to Philadelphia to see jazz and to New York to go to the theater on Broadway with her sister, Angela, and enjoyed family get-togethers at her sister Sandy’s home on the lake in Georgia.
Denise had a great sense of humor, loved to laugh, and was tender-hearted, often tearing up at her Hallmark movies. She also enjoyed watching college football, always rooting for FSU.
A memorial service will be held at a future date at a beach location in Florida to spread her ashes, per her wishes. All are invited to share memories with the family at www.nashvillefuneralandcremation.com/obituaries.
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