Bonnie Ruth Black

Bonnie Ruth (Hyler) Black, age 81, passed away peacefully in Bellevue on May 1, 2015. Bonnie was truly a westerner - she was born in Utah on July 31, 1933 to Ruth (Selley) and Clarence Hyler, and lived in Arizona and California before moving to Washington in 1975. Bellevue became her adopted home for the final forty years of her life.

Bonnie graduated from Holy Cross Hospital School of Nursing in Salt Lake City in 1954. She relocated to Sacramento with three other nurses with whom she became lifelong friends. She intended to specialize in pediatrics. But in 1956 after marrying E. John Black, a field engineer for General Electric (later, Honeywell), her plans changed. She "retired" from nursing and devoted her life to raising her family, a decision she never regretted. After the kids were grown, Bonnie and John relished the opportunity to travel to exotic locations in John's Honeywell territory, including Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and People's Republic of China!

Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years. She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne Black and her husband William N. Zagotta of Seattle, WA and by her son, Douglas J. Black, and his wife, Janet I. Black, of Issaquah, WA. Bonnie is also survived by several cousins and their families.

A celebration of Bonnie's happy life will be held at St. Madeline Sophie Catholic Church, 4400 130th Pl SE, Bellevue, WA on Wednesday May 20th at noon, followed by a reception. Please sign Bonnie's online guest book at sunsethillsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Seattle Humane Society, the American Heart Association , or the International Mountain Guides' Sherpa fund. We wish to thank publicly her physician of forty years, Dr. Sandra Rice, as well as the staffs of Visiting Angels of Kirkland, Sunrise of Bellevue, and Overlake Hospital for the compassionate care Bonnie received.

We will forever remember Bonnie's optimism, joyful spirit, and dedication to finding good in every person she met.

"The most manifest sign of wisdom is continued cheerfulness."

-- Montaigne

Arrangements by Sunset Hills Funeral Home, (425) 746-1400. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=bonnie-r-black&pid=174866228&fhid=11546#sthash.SXSSgjYT.dpuf