Berna Mutlu's Obituary
Berna Mutlu passed away at the age of 46 on June 5th, 2023, at home in Gainesville, Florida after an arduous ten-month struggle with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Born in Bursa Turkey, Berna graduated in 1997 from Middle East Technical University as an English major. She moved to Gainesville Florida in 1999 as an international scholarship recipient to pursue a Master of English Education at the University of Florida, which she was awarded in 2003. Berna then co-founded a successful business specializing in the publication of electronic media for college-level coursework. While the enterprise became lucrative after several years, Berna sought to fulfill a yearning for personal growth which led her to earn the Doctor of Philosophy in Education in 2010. She was subsequently selected as Director of the Postdoctoral Bridge Program in the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. In 2012 she married Russell Bowers, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, and Berna remained employed at the Warrington Business School up until about a year after the birth of daughter Sarah in 2014. In 2017, Berna and Russ had a second daughter, Nyssa. Berna loved her children more than anything else, and God knows there is no stronger love in the Universe. Berna loved to share Turkish culture and was proud of her Turkish heritage. The Mutlu-Bowers family visited Turkey in Summer 2022, a vacation that included the museums and ancient mosques of Istanbul as well as the beautiful Mediterranean resort town of Fethiye. To the delight of her family and friends, Berna enjoyed cooking (especially Turkish cuisine) and frequently tried-out new recipes. Her home-made baklava was enjoyed by many! Berna enjoyed literature, music, the beach, and ocean cruises. Like a lioness protecting her cubs, Berna fought heroically to tolerate and overcome her painful illness. She never, ever gave up, and courageously held out hope until the end. Up until the day that she passed away she did everything in her power to lovingly nurture, protect and teach her children, providing a warm and loving family household for her family. In addition to Russ, Sarah and Nyssa, Berna is survived by her loving brother Berkan, mother Fikreye, and father Ramazan Mutlu as well as her beloved mother and father in-law Virginia and Wesley Bowers, sister-in-law Laura Bowers and her nieces Emma, and Abby Bowers and Katie Wall.
A Prayer Service will be held Friday, June 16, 2023, at 1:30PM at Hoda Islamic Center, 5220 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 9:00AM at Williams-Thomas Westarea (Jonesville), 823 NW 143rd Street with the Rev. Dr. Don McGarity officiating. A reception will be held after the service at 11AM in the Tioga Clubhouse, 205 SW 131st St. Newberry, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to Nyssa and Sarah’s College Investing Plans. Donations can be made by Zelle electronic payment to [email protected], or to send a check, email [email protected] to request the USPS mailing address.
What’s your fondest memory of Berna?
What’s a lesson you learned from Berna?
Share a story where Berna's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Berna you’ll never forget.
How did Berna make you smile?