Virginia M. (Belavitch)(Bunting) Kirwin, 77, known to all who loved her as "Ginny," passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at her home in Dracut, with her loving husband and caregiver, William, by her side.
She was born in Lawrence on March 2, 1949, the daughter of the late Albert Belavitch and the late Helen (DeSimone) Viglione. She grew up in Lawrence and was educated in the city's Catholic schools, graduating from St. Mary High School with the class of 1966, and later from Lowell State College in 1970, where she earned her bachelor's of science in education.
Teaching was her life's work, and she gave nearly all of it to the children of Tewksbury. She began in a second grade classroom at the Heathbrook School, where she taught for ten years, before becoming a sixth grade teacher with a program called IGE, which focused on fifth and sixth grade students. From there she moved into team teaching at the Junior High School, and when the Ryan School was completed she transferred there alongside her husband, remaining until her retirement. To a generation of Tewksbury students, she was simply Miss Bunting, and many of them carried her name and her lessons with them long after they left her classroom.
It was in those same hallways that she met William. He had come in as a long term substitute for a teacher who had fallen ill, and she was teaching second grade at the time. What began as a school year together became a marriage and a shared career, and the two of them were rarely far apart in the years that followed.
Away from school, Ginny was a devoted reader and loved working puzzles. She was an extraordinary Italian cook, and no family gathering went by without her quietly taking requests and making certain that everyone's favorite dish found its way to the table. She was a great writer of notes and cards, and she mailed them faithfully. Her handwriting was flawless and her thank you notes were never late. She never let a holiday pass without calling her brother. She was happiest spending time with William, whether taking a long drive together or visiting the beach. A die hard fan of the New England Patriots and a season ticket holder, she followed her team through every season.
Her faith was the quiet center of it all. A communicant of Immaculate Conception Church, Ginny carried a deep and lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother, and she believed with her whole heart in the power of a novena. She prayed them faithfully, for her family, for her friends, and for anyone who asked her to remember an intention, trusting that Our Lady would carry it where it needed to go.
Ginny is survived by her beloved husband, William J. Kirwin of Dracut; her son, Matthew Bunting and his wife, Charlene, of Salem, NH; her brother, Alphonse D. Belavitch and his wife Geraldine of Rye Beach, NH; and her four grandchildren, whom she absolutely adored, Ileana, Madison, Jackson and Isabelle. She also leaves many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son, Brian A. Bunting.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Friday, October 2, 2026, from 10-11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 144 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852, followed by her Funeral Mass, which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. in the church. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Tewksbury.
Donations in memory of Virginia M. Kirwin may be made to the Immaculate Conception Church Building Fund, 144 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852, or to the Oblate Infirmary and Retirement Home, 486 Chandler Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of the McDonough Funeral Home, 14 Highland Street, Lowell, MA 01852. For additional information or to offer an online condolence, please visit www.mcdonoughfuneralhome.com.