In loving memory of
Brenda Bly
March 10, 1953 - February 2, 2025
Brenda Sue Bly (Huey)
March 10, 1953 - February 2, 2025
Brenda Sue Bly (Huey), 71, of Iowa City, Iowa, died peacefully in her sleep in Toledo, Iowa following a lengthy struggle with dementia.
Brenda, a graduate of West High in Iowa City, Iowa, was remembered as a bright student in school who once dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Following high school, she spent a number of years staying at home to raise her four daughters. Eventually, she took work outside the home, working in various places around Iowa City. She enjoyed the many friendships she made during this time. Brenda had a strong love for nature, which started from a young age growing up on the family farm. She shared this love with her children in many ways, such as scouting for monarch caterpillars on milkweed plants and then watching them turn into butterflies. Brenda was a woman of many hidden talents, most of which were not shared outside the family. She was a natural artist, creating butterfly oil paintings and cartoons and drawings. She also was a talented gardener, and, much like her own father, an avid birdwatcher. Later in life, even after having fallen ill, Brenda's sense of humor never faltered, and she maintained a fondness for eating ice cream and hoarding Mr. Goodbars and other snacks. She spent the last years of her life at the Premier Estates nursing home in Toledo, Iowa. The staff enjoyed her playful personality.
Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, Gaylen and Orlane Huey, and her many beloved furry companions, including Twinkie, Maggie, and Puddles. She is survived by her brother Alan (Janelle) Huey, and her sisters Jean (Darrel) Brotherson and Virginia (Dave) Geers. Brenda's legacy lives on in her four children, Kellie Kesselring, Katina Aburto, Jamie (Lih) Chen, and Jessica (Christopher) Wawra. Brenda also loved her grandchildren, Shelbi, Sue, Maddox, Zavier, Mina, Ozzy, and Hans, and great-grandchildren, Axel and Avalyn, and many grandfurchildren.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on a later date. Brenda's children ask that, in lieu of flowers, you please consider making a donation on Brenda's behalf to: