Cecil W. Bond Jr.

Cecil W. Bond was many things: college basketball player, Army veteran, bank vice president, assistant general manager of a transportation company, golfer.

But it may be best to measure the Marlton resident by a different kind of acclaim: There are more than a dozen messages attached to Cecil’s online obituary from people who loved and admired him.

They prove what else the 87-year-old was: beloved.

“Uncle Cecil, you will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege to cross your path,” posted his niece, Patrice Monroe. 

Cecil was born in 1937 in Chester, Pennsylvania, the eldest of six sons, according to the Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. He earned a bachelor’s at Morgan State University – on a basketball scholarship – then eventually became a major in the Army’s military police.

Cecil oversaw $40 million in loans at a Philadelphia bank and helped advance opportunities for minority-owned businesses, the Tribune notes. He was also employed by what was once the largest minority-owned broadcasting operation in the country.

“He was a gentleman and would help you with anything,” wrote Bernadette Foster, a co-worker of Cecil’s at SEPTA, the Philadelphia transportation system where he spent 25 years as a manager. “He was such a good person.”

“Rest in paradise Cecil,” posted Barry Sullivan, a golfing buddy. “It was an honor and a privilege to know you … Hit ‘em straight up there.”

Diedra Hicks said simply: “Trusting that heaven has welcomed a beloved soul.” 

Sources: Philadelphia Tribune, Legacy.com

Dr. Anusuya Balasundaram

It was Dr. Anusuya Balasundaram’s job to help people with their troubles, something she continued as she fought the cancer that would take her own life at 54.  

“Even as she navigated her own illness with quiet courage,” the Moorestown resident’s obituary notes, “her impulse was to reach outward, to comfort others, talk them through their worries and offer the thoughtful, clear-eyed support that those lucky enough to be in her life came to depend on.”

Anusuya was born in Sri Lanka and arrived in America at 6 months old, according to her obituary. Her career as a psychiatrist taught her to be a good listener, a skill she used in her work at Hampton Behavioral Health Center in Westampton, where she was appointed medical director in 2018. 

Anusuya was a sounding board for family, too. Besides her husband, Jeevaka Sritharan – who was born the same day and year as his wife – she took great pride in her niece Asha Madison and her nephew Kiran. 

Anusuya never missed Asha’s dance recitals, her obituary reads, and made an Eagles fan of Kiran. 

So it seems Anusuya’s work and family couldn’t help but be intertwined.  

“Her dedication to her patients,” the obituary says, “was matched by the grace and empathy she brought to all who knew her.” 

Sources: Bradley Funeral Home, Legacy.com

Inside the obits

Decking the halls

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it fitting to feature some people whose passion for the holidays was noted in their obituaries.

Joseph Thomas McLaughlin had the temperament to play Santa: kindhearted, funny and sociable. The large beard didn’t hurt either. The 75-year-old from Mount Laurel so loved the job, that the photo on his obituary shows him as Kris Kringle exercising with a hand weight. The better to stay in shape for parades, nursing homes, malls and his own family at Christmas. Said Helen Rodgers in an online tribute, “Joe was the best.”

Suzanne Theresa Fink could make Friday night pizza an event. The 82-year-old Burlington County resident and teacher’s aide loved people around the table, and anyone who happened to stop by. At Christmas, her love of Johnny Mathis and homemade cookies were among traditions that became “the heartbeat of her family.”

Chanin Coyle loved Thanksgiving so much that she cooked two turkey dinners, one for her parents in Pennsylvania, and the other for family in New Jersey. The 54-year-old Camden County resident also put up multiple Christmas trees, with finishing touches that included twinkling lights and the sounds of a carriage ride. Chanin also helped decorate her parish for Easter.

Gregory Alvord might have played Santa, but he had a real fondness for Halloween. The 59-year-old Marlton resident walked through the school where he was a physical education teacher every October for his students and colleagues, then showed up again to play Santa. Perhaps that’s because, as one online tribute noted, “he immediately lit up the room with his unique personality and his love for everyone.”

Sources: Legacy.com, Bradley Funeral Home, Bordentown Home for Funerals, Mount Laurel Home for Funerals 

The Good Life appears twice a month. To suggest someone who recently passed away for a tribute, email Christina Mitchell at cmitchell@donnelly.media. Please describe in a few words something about the person’s life.