***SERVICE INFORMATION CHANGE*** PLEASE NOTE DUE TO THE WEATHER STATE OF EMERGENCY THE VISITATION AND FUNERAL SERVICES HAVE CHANGED. THE UPDATED INFORMATION IS BELOW. (Knowing that many are coming from the NYC area, out of an abundance of caution services have changed from Tuesday/Wednesday to Wednesday/Thursday. Your understanding is much appreciated and kindly inform friends and colleagues of this change)

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Florin Butunoi, age 43 years, of Montgomery Township, NJ, died peacefully on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at home, surrounded by his cherished wife and children, and under the caring watch of Grace Hospice.

Born on July 27, 1977, in Romania, son of Toader Butunoi and Elisabeta Butunoi, he was raised in Romania and had lived there prior to emigrating to the United States in 2004, moving first to Rutherford, NJ, while attending school, and then later moving to Princeton, and then Belle Mead, NJ.

An ‘old soul’ with a fierce intellectual curiosity and a passion for living each day to its fullest, Florin will be forever remembered as a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. His mantra of ‘never giving up on your dreams’ is one of the main ideals that will surely be a part of the future attitudes and actions of all who met him.

An attorney by trade, Florin’s life path had many twists and turns, all of which were based on his desire to grow and learn. One of these twists occurred in May of 1996, where at a picnic he met a young Ms. Dana Chiritoiu. The two began talking and it was on their first date on August 15, 1996, where they both realized that their meeting at that picnic was more fate than anything.

Dana was encouraged by Florin’s level of maturity for someone his age, and his thirst for knowledge. She quickly realized that he saw beyond appearances and was always looking for the depth of someone’s soul. They would marry on September 1, 2001, and Dana credits teamwork and profound respect for their success in marriage, and in life. They both valued their independence, but never at a sacrifice to the other; in fact, they always were each others biggest supporters and encouragers.

In November of 2003, Florin and Dana were having a discussion about life and where their paths were headed. He reminded her of her dream to study abroad, and together they came up with a list of prospective places: New Zealand, Australia, and the United States were the finalists. They both applied to various schools and by luck or by skill, they both were accepted to graduate school at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, and each with a full scholarship. They decided to take the proverbial ‘leap’ and came to the United States with an open mind and after successful completion of their studies at Seton Hall, decided to settle in the states.

Florin would continue his studies by earning an LLM from Fordham University and then an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was currently the Director of Business Development for HIG Capital Management, NYC, NY where his dedication and hard work were much appreciated by his colleagues around the world.

The true joy in Florin and Dana’s life, were their three children, ten-year-old Alec and eight-year-old twins, Leo and Ella. Florin’s world revolved around making sure that his children realized that if they tried their best, no matter what, they would be successful.

All three of his kids remarked that their Dad was one of their biggest supporters who encouraged them to always follow their dreams and to put 100% into everything that they did. He was there to help with homework, teach them sports, and was always ‘fully present’ when he was with them.

He made learning fun, and wanted his children to appreciate various cultures and understand that differences in people made them special and worthwhile. Through his love of travel, Florin ensured that his kids were constantly exposed to this ideal, especially when it came to trying new foods, which Florin loved.

He also loved sports, especially American football, soccer, and tennis, and used them to show his children the value of teamwork. In fact, he helped found a tennis team in Princeton, composed entirely of Romanians, and the team went on to win several large championships.

Florin’s passions were diverse and in addition to sports, he enjoyed baking, landscaping, fast cars, and woodworking.

In 2009, Florin was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, neuroendocrine cancer. His first thought upon receiving the news, was that he was never going to let the cancer run his life nor stop him from being the best husband, father and friend. In fact, throughout his journey he never let the illness stop him from pursuing his dreams. He would want all reading this to learn more about this often misunderstood and misdiagnosed illness by clicking HERE; the life you save may be your own.

Though his time on Earth was short by numerical standards, Florin surely made an impact to last an eternity. To all those reading this, Florin would tell you that if your dreams are not crazy enough, then they are not good dreams! Keep pushing yourself and reaching for your own stars: you are good enough and deserve to reach them.

In addition to his devoted wife, Dana, and his beloved children, Alec, Leo, and Ella, Florin is survived by his parents in Romania; several family and many friends around the world; and by his dear dogs, Lexi and Bruno.

A public visitation will take place on WEDNESDAY, August 5, 2020 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. The viewing will be followed by a vigil service at 7:00 p.m., led by Rev. Andras Szasz, and to which all are welcome. Please note: masks are required to be worn at all times on the funeral home premises and all persons must maintain social distancing requirements. Please follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival.

A celebration of Florin’s life officiated by Rev. Andras Szasz will take place on THURSDAY, August 6, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. The family will receive friends on Thursday beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Burial in the family plot at Rocky Hill Cemetery, 435 Wall Street, Princeton, NJ 08553, will be private.

Please visit Florin’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a memorial candle, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a fund to help with final expenses, as well as the future education of his three children. Please click HERE to be taken to his personal and secure donation page. For those who wish to mail in a contribution, please do so by making a check payable to ‘In Memory Of’, noting ‘Florin Butunoi’ in the memo, and mailing to: In Memory Of, P.O. Box 5472, Charlottesville, VA 22905.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”