Anita Marie Wilson, 72, died after a brief illness June 1, 2017 in Largo, Florida surrounded by her family and friends. Anita was born in1944 into extraordinarily difficult circumstances at the Japanese-run Los Banos internment camp in the Philippines.  Her mother, the late Joan Smith, and father, the late Jesse Wilson, met at the camp after being imprisoned there along with other civilians during WWII.   At the time Anita was born, the Japanese had begun to slowly starve the prisoners of Los Banos.  Fortunately in February of 1945, American forces and Fillipino guerrillas executed a daring raid of the camp and rescued the more than 2,000 prisoners, including Anita and her parents. After being liberated from the camp, Anita's family moved to Lancaster, California where Anita would spend her childhood.  She graduated from Desert High School, and then worked in the secretarial pool at Edwards Air Force Base where she met her first husband, John Bunton of Connecticut. The couple's first son was born in 1964. After John completed his service, the young family moved to Connecticut where their second son was born in 1967.   A third son was born in 1970 but died in infancy.

Anita worked full time throughout most of her life. She worked as an accountant and bookkeeper for a variety of companies and she also owned a property management business in California with her second husband, whom she divorced in 2001. Anita loved to read, solve puzzles and collect angels of every kind. She enjoyed her pets and had a soft spot for little dogs that she spoiled exceedingly. She was a proud and devoted mother who bragged unabashedly about her sons and their various accomplishments. But it was spending time with her four grandsons that brought Anita her greatest joy and that lured her back to Connecticut again after her second marriage.  She loved being "Nana" and all that came with it: cheering tirelessly at hockey, soccer, and lacrosse games; enthusiastically clapping at violin recitals and various school events; and hosting sleepovers at her house with pizza dinners and movies.  After retiring to Palm Harbor, FL in 2015, Anita enthusiastically stayed in touch with her grandsons via texting and Facebook.  Anita was an active member of the American Legion post #273 in Madeira Beach, FL, where she made many dear friends after her retirement.

Anita is survived by her two sons, J Bunton, of Hamden, CT (and his spouse, Linda Oechsle) and Bill Bunton, of Branford, CT (and his spouse, Diana Bunton); four grandsons (Will and Tyler Bunton and Cooper and Max Bunton); a brother, Richard Wilson, of Lancaster, CA (and his spouse, Marie Wilson); and several nieces and nephews. A private family burial is planned in Connecticut.  A memorial service and reception in celebration of Anita's life will be held on July 22 in Connecticut.  Remembrances and questions about the memorial service can be sent to jbunton@apicellabunton.com .  In lieu of flowers, donations in Anita's memory can be made to the American Cancer Society.