Bonnie Whittington

Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 30 at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Andy Blair, officiating. On August 27, 2015 Bonnie Whittington, born Verda Nell Bonnie, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends. In her final days, she was also attended by staff members of Hospice Care of the Southwest. Bonnie was born in Fort Worth, Texas on October 18, 1920, the first child of Felix and Susie (Cook) Bonnie. She and her brother Steve Edward spent their childhood in San Antonio where, after the death of their mother in 1925, they lived mostly with grandparents Noah and Nancy Cook. Bonnie was ever grateful for the five years she lived at the Bexar County Home for Girls, where she learned many practical skills and became a mentor to the younger girls. Bonnie struck out on her own at age 16, becoming a waitress and later a hostess at the Plaza Hotel in San Antonio. It was there that she met officer cadet Joseph Cannon Whittington, who was in pilot training at Kelly Air Force Base. After a courtship of only six weeks, Bonnie and Joe were married on November 28, 1942 in the Chapel at Duncan Field in San Antonio. During World War II, Joe was stationed in London, England and Bonnie lived in Amarillo, Texas during which time she gave birth to their first two children Joseph Cannon Whittington, Jr. and Bonnie Jo. After his service, including flying three C-47 missions into Normandy on D-Day pulling gliders and dropping para-troopers, Joe returned to Amarillo where they made their home for a short time. They moved to Sabinal, Texas where the family enjoyed four years building many of their happiest memories. In 1955, they moved to Canyon, Texas to the home in which she lived until her death. That same year, their second daughter Julie Ann was born. On October 4, 1958, Joseph, Sr. died in a crop-spraying accident. The little family was upheld by Bonnie's indomitable spirit and by their Canyon and church community (First Presbyterian Church of Canyon). Bonnie attended art classes at Amarillo College and business classes at West Texas State University. In 1962, she was employed by the newly-created Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, Inc., working for them as they began raising funds to build the Palo Duro Amphitheater and commission the "TEXAS" script from Paul Green. She worked with "TEXAS" until she retired in 1990. She dearly loved working with her colleagues and nurturing hundreds of young people who were in the show. Bonnie was deeply committed to the First Presbyterian Church of Canyon. She taught Sunday School, was youth leader, and served several terms as Deacon and Elder. She was a member of the Canyon Rotary Club. In 2004, she received the 'Service Above Self Award' from the Canyon Club and was named a Paul Harris Fellow, a prestigious title awarded by Rotary International. Among other activities, she was a Cub Scout leader, a PTA member, room mother, and served on Canyon Area Library Council. Bonnie was an advocate for education, fiercely encouraging her children to seek advanced education and was proud of their accomplishments. She was a true self-educated woman who vigorously pursued her personal education through voracious reading in wide subject areas, through travel, and through trial-and-error experience. She loved being outdoors as much as possible, where she enjoyed backpacking, camping, birding, and gardening. She was an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed refinishing antique furniture. She was widely known in Canyon for her 'rose ministry,' delivering roses from her garden to friends and often soon-to-be-friends. She also enjoyed sharing her homemade plum and blackberry jams. Bonnie was preceded in death by her mother Susie Cook Bonnie, father Felix Bonnie, husband Joseph Cannon Whittington, daughter Bonnie Jo Whittington, and brother Steve Edward Bonnie. She is survived by her son Joseph, Jr. and life-partner Linda Schulte, daughter Julie Whittington McCoy and husband Jerry, grandson Joseph Timothy Whittington, granddaughter Aimee Whittington, great grandson Griffin Vivian, sister, Phyllis Bonnie McNall, sister-in-law Florence Whittington Roessler, nephew Stuart Basquin and wife Trudy, niece Jeanie Basquin, niece Florence Marie Fetterer and husband Tom, niece, Pamala McNall, niece Cynthia Roessler, nephew Kenneth Whittington and wife Alice, nephew Steve J. Bonnie and wife Martha, grand-nieces and nephews, and countless dear friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Bonnie J. Whittington Memorial Scholarship in Physical Therapy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1400 S. Coulter St., Amarillo, TX 79016 (ttuhsc.edu).