Bonnie Ann Hicks

Bonnie lived with her family in Spartanburg, SC from childhood into her teenage years. When she was around 15 years old, she was strolling through the neighborhood and saw a handsome boy washing a car in his driveway. Instantly enamored, she found herself taking that walking route often, and it wasn’t long before the boy took notice. Bonnie married that boy, Mr. Morris Hicks, just one year later, in 1957, in Spartanburg, SC. The young and in love couple relocated to Charlotte, NC in the late 1950s and shortly thereafter welcomed their first son, Michael.

In her adulthood, Bonnie delighted in any excuse to be outdoors in the sunshine. She was an avid gardener, growing both flowers and vegetables, and a staunch animal lover, often watching and feeding birds and even feeding raccoons at times. Even if she didn’t have anything specific to do outside, she would lay out and work on her tan – something she was quite passionate about!

When she did have to be indoors, she could often be found in the kitchen whipping up something delicious for her family. Bonnie was an adventurous cook, frequently and eagerly testing new recipes and cuisines just to see how they turned out. Some of her signature dishes include chocolate covered cherry cake, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. Food was a big part of her life in many ways; she was very passionate about dessert, and highlighted that belief on her favorite chair’s throw pillow, which read, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” Bonnie would also plan entire vacations around famous chefs and regional dishes, and this led to her traveling to the Florida Keys, Hilton Head Beach, and New Orleans, among many other places.

Being a homemaker her whole life, Bonnie truly enjoyed looking after others. There was a time when she joyfully took on the role of surrogate grandmother to a neighborhood boy whose own grandparents lived out of state. She eventually grew close with his whole family and delighted in turning the Chicago-born boy in to a real southerner, especially through her cooking.

Bonnie was loud, outspoken, strong-willed, and fiercely independent. Morris often traveled for work, sometimes out of the country, so raising two boys at home by herself certainly made her a tough and assertive woman! Her opinionated and outgoing nature sometimes intimidated others, but she balanced it out with her deeply caring heart, and this duality in her personality made her incredibly impressive.

Those left to remember Bonnie include her youngest son, Christopher Hicks (Vickie); her sister, Linda Revels; and her daughter-in-law, Barbara Hicks.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Leona; her loving husband, Morris Hicks; and her oldest son, Michael Hicks.

To honor Bonnie’s wishes, the service will be private. Donations may be made in Bonnie’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Humane Society of Charlotte.