Tonchita "Toni" Warner

A few short weeks after reaching her milestone seventy-fifth birthday, Tonchita (Toni) T. Warner gained her angel wings on Saturday, April 17, 2021. She passed just how she wanted—surrounded by her daughter and son-in-law, the dogs, and all of her grandchildren. Her last hours were spent in her daughter’s home listening to her family laughing and reminiscing about all of their favorite “Mimi” stories and adventures.

Toni is preceded in death by her father, Raymond Townsend; her mother, Leota Hook, and her son, Bobby Warner. She’s survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Jeff May. She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Matthew and wife Melissa May, Garrett May, Christina and husband Brandon White, and Zane Warner; as well as her great grandchildren, Julien, Jace, Layla and her fourth great grandchild due in August. Others who were important to Toni include her cousin Jodie Henry, her daughter-in-law Beth Tarin, many friends, and of course, her dog and beloved companion, Jenna.

Toni was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on March 27, 1946, where she spent most of her life, except for the last decade when she moved to Bellevue, so she could be closer to her daughter and her family.

Toni was well known for her compassion and generous soul, dedicating most of her life to helping others. She started as a volunteer at Micah House Homeless Shelter and worked her way up to House Manager, where she served tirelessly for nearly 20 years. She was very passionate about helping others find and make a better life. Many came to Toni for support in their darkest hours, and she was always willing to offer them a kind, unjudgmental ear and uplifting advice and encouragement. After leaving Micah House, Toni continued sharing her gifts of comfort and compassion at Westlawn-Hillcrest as a receptionist for about five years before retiring.

Something you may not know about Toni is that her service of supporting new lives really began in the mid-1960s when she worked at Clarkson Hospital in Labor and Delivery and assisted in the birth of hundreds of babies! It may also surprise you to know that, although she didn’t end up pursing this dream (because she married), she was offered a position as a flight attendant. She also had a beautiful singing voice!

Once married, her dream and focus shifted to what became the most important priority for the rest of her life: her family and children. Her daughter has fond memories of coming home from school to the smell of homemade cookies in the oven and remembers always looking forward to her mom’s delicious nightly suppers (she was an excellent cook)!

Toni was a stay-at-home mom for most of her children’s younger years and helped supplement the household income by representing a variety of home-based companies including Avon, Tri-Chem fabric paints, Princess House crystal, Home Interiors, and Tupperware. She even had an in-home cake decorating business. She loved participating in her kids’ school activities and socializing with friends -- always with her favorite beverage in hand, coffee.

Over the years, Toni volunteered hundreds of hours, giving back to the community in many different ways. A few of her most enjoyable volunteer activities included being a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and she also especially loved being a Docent at Henry Doorley Zoo. Her time at the zoo allowed her to enjoy another one of her favorite passions, nurturing and caring for animals. As a Docent, she could get up close and personal with all types of animals which brought her great joy.

Some of the family’s favorite memories of Toni are her contagious laugh and smile, her witty sense of humor, her ability to see the beauty in all things, her compassion toward those less fortunate, her big bear hug embraces, her homemade chicken and noodles, her love and talent decorating for every holiday (especially Christmas!), her house full of toys for the grandkids, her shopping sprees at Walmart and on QVC, her love of all creatures big and small, nature, flowers, birds, butterflies, and the ocean. But most of all, they will all cherish that special gift she had for making each person she knew feel like they were the most important person in the world.

Toni experienced many challenges in life, but she always met them with her signature smile and those bright, twinkling blue eyes. She bravely faced and conquered cancer three times over the last ten years, was a caregiver for her own mother in the last years of her mother’s life, and remained a solid foundation for her son, never giving up on him. Of all the lessons she taught her children and grandchildren, compassion and the meaning of unconditional love will forever be her two greatest legacies. Toni’s strength, love and generosity will be missed by her family and all who love her.