Dilmeran Akgöze (Dunham)

A loving woman who paid a great price to become independent.  A survivor living with missing her daughter, Pitircik.

The words above were written by Dilmeran Akgöze (formerly Dilmeran Akgöze Dunham); a loving woman whose energy, enthusiasm, creativity, humor, and boundless positivity will be greatly missed. Loved by her students, friends, and family, she enjoyed spending time with people, sharing her perspectives on life, and cooking delicious Turkish foods.

Dilmeran was born in Istanbul, and moved to the United States in 1959 with her young daughter, Pitircik. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with her Associate’s degree and then moved to Ithaca to attend Cornell University where she obtained her Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees from the College of Human Ecology in Textiles; finishing her degree with a thesis on "The hat as symbol of westernization in Turkey." She taught several courses at Cornell, followed by many years of teaching and later retiring from Dewitt Junior High in the Ithaca City School District.

Dilmeran's last trip out of town was to view the total eclipse just north of Ithaca. On her return she experienced severe pains and her physicians found that cancer had invaded her spine. Four weeks later her body was laid to rest at Greensprings Natural Preserve.

She is predeceased by her dear daughter, Pitircik Zeynep Zaralioglu, mother Suat Akgoze, father Muharrem Akgoze, brother Dogan Akgoze, and sister Nese Steward. Her remaining family includes two nieces, Zeynep Akgoze, daughter of Dogan, and Julia Yasmin Steward, daughter of Nese, two grand-nieces (the daughters of Julia) Eran Ozgunay and Sezan Ozgunay, and Eran’s daughter, Dilmeran’s great-grand-niece, Sereya Beynon.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Dilmeran Akgoze Mental Health Services Fund, via the online site, or by check made payable to the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, 200 E Buffalo St, Suite 202, Ithaca NY 14850. A gathering to honor Dilmeran and Pitircik will be planned for later this year - information about this will be posted on Dilmeran's facebook page.