‘Everybody has been touched by some sadness’
Decades after losing daughter, new book deals with surviving loss
ZANESVILLE — When Ronna Bucci died in 1998 at the age of 28, grief took over the lives of her loved ones.
As hard as it was for her parents and siblings and many friends to come to terms with her suicide, it was nearly impossible for Ronna’s dog, Murphy, to understand why his best friend wasn’t coming home.
It’s been 23 years now since Ronna died, and her mother, Mary Ann Bucci, has found the strength to write about losing her child.
In the years since Ronna’s passing, Bucci has spoken at numerous events and scholarships have been created in Ronna’s name, but her story has never quite been told like this before.
It’s written through the eyes of Ronna’s beloved dog.
“It’s Murphy’s story,” Bucci said. “So it’s from the time Murphy met Ronna.”
Ronna was a graduate of Bishop Rosecrans High School and went on to study at Indiana University on a golf scholarship.
She later found herself in Los Angeles with Murphy.
“They had a lovely life in LA, if it hadn’t been for drugs and her mental illness,” Bucci said. “I mean, they had unbelievable experiences, meeting people that were just really enlightening.”
After several years of working in LA, she returned home to Ohio.
Ronna was a talented artist and athlete who battled her mental illness without finding peace on earth. Murphy was by her side through it all. As the family grieved, so did Murphy, and Bucci took notice.
Her book puts into words what Murphy couldn’t say, but what she could see in him.
She encourages those who are contemplating suicide to choose life, and helps grieving families to find their strength.
At the countless speaking events Bucci has been invited to since Ronna’s death, typically around Mother’s Day, she shares her own story of grief and perseverance.
“If you lose a child and you’re a mother, it’s like the worst thing in the world to happen to you. God gave me that wonderful gift of doing art, and it just carried me through,” she said. “In 1998 when I lost her, I counted up, I must have done 200 originals that year. I just worked and worked and it just really helped so much.”
When her husband wanted to quit celebrating holidays and special occasions, Bucci found the strength to keep moving forward.
“You just do it,” she said. “You do it because, you know, everybody has a story to tell. Everybody’s been touched by some sadness.”
During speaking events, Bucci gives advice on how to find happiness during dark times.
“I had to figure out right away how to tell these people how to find their joy again,” she said.
It’s something she included in her book, as well.
“This part’s so important to me. This is the way to find your joy. This sentence, it said, ‘if you could only sense how important you are to those who love you, then you would never think of leaving them, and it’s the truth,’” she said.
Bucci is releasing her book this week and will make several public appearances for signings throughout the remainder of the year.
She will be at the Zanesville Farmers Market on Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. until noon with books available for purchase.
Books can also be purchased online at www.maryannbucci.com by sending a message, or by calling 740-704-4334. cmholmes@gannett.com 740-450-6758
Twitter: @cmholmesgannett