Joanne Margaret Bonner

Joanne was born in Spokane, Washington in 1925, the daughter of Al and Rose Healy. The Healys moved to Los Angeles, CA when Joanne was very young, where she grew up with her four siblings, James, Dennis, Mary Lou, and Ella (Penny). She attended local Catholic schools and later graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in San Diego, just after WWII. Following graduation, she and a fellow nurse decided to board a ship to Hawaii for a brief vacation, but once there they decided to stay, working in the delivery room at the local hospital on Oahu. As she later recounted, she lived in a beautiful old Hawaiian mansion converted to nurses’ quarters, where the rent was $5 per month. Early on, the two nurses were invited to a party attended by a number of young U.S. Marine Corps aviator officers. There, she met Joel E. (Pete) Bonner Jr., who became her devoted husband of 67 years. That was 1947.

Joanne and Pete were married in Los Angeles in 1948, and gave birth to their first child, Suzanne, in 1949. They later welcomed Joel E. III in 1954 and Nancy Rose in 1962. Meanwhile, the Bonners moved from base to base with various Marine Corps assignments, including Quantico, VA, Cherry Point, NC, and the Pentagon, to name a few. Joanne gave up her nursing career to raise her family but also took up a variety of outside interests, including bridge and tennis. When Pete retired from the Marine Corps in 1971, the family was living in Alexandria and they continued to live there for many years. With the kids out of the house, Joanne and Pete downsized to a townhouse at Belle Haven on the Green, where they were active members of the Belle Haven Country Club. Later, in 2004, they decided to shift gears again, moving to The Fairfax in Ft. Belvoir. Although reluctant to make a move to “senior living,” Joanne later embraced it and probably enjoyed her most gratifying years at The Fairfax.

At the Fairfax, she was active in the Catholic community, the duplicate bridge groups, the “red tag” thrift store, and various lunch and dinner groups, all while spending considerable time with family members living in the area.

Her kids blessed her with four wonderful grandchildren, Kate, Anne, Sarah, and Matthew, on whom she doted with great pleasure, attending all of their school events and other memorable occasions. Every summer, she would rent a large beach house in the Outer Banks of NC to host and enjoy her family.

She remained very active until March 2018, when at 92 she was diagnosed with a blood disorder known as MDS, which steadily sapped her strength until she passed. But her kids and grandkids were with her at her home for her last several weeks, sharing memories and keeping her comfortable with generous help from her long-time beloved assistant, Samrawite Fikre, hospice care, and others.

After she passed on June 20 and residents of the Fairfax were notified, the family received numerous heart warming remembrances. Here are a few:

“What am I to do without my wonderful right hand and friend. She worked so well with me on the duplicate bridge and we had great fun together, ...

All of us will miss her greatly, for she was so much a part of things and always so upbeat....

The Fairfax will never be the same without her.”

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“I am very sorry and saddened to hear this news. I played Bridge with Joanne on Monday nights for the past 3 years. She was a fine player, a fierce competitor, and a lovely lady who always exhibited great sportsmanship.

She will be sorely missed by all at our weekly game.”

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“She was so friendly to all of us newcomers and was always very pleasant to be around. She learned the names of the new people at bridge quickly and made us all feel most welcome.”

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“She was a wonderful woman and bridge player. She will be sorely missed.”

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“Your Mom was one of a kind. She was smart and yet funny and we easily laughed together over really nothing. What a combination. We could never quite master getting the back seat safety belts fastened and we would simply roar with laughter. I will miss her.... We all know where she is. A good woman like Joanne would easily enter into the gates of Heaven.”

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“I'm new here - but she was the first to welcome and invite me over for cocktails -- I was so grateful to be ‘launched’ into acceptance by others due to her inclusiveness and kindness -- that is probably why God called her to come quickly. Bless you all during this time, knowing how much we loved her here and that God now has his arms wrapped around her!”

The Bonner family would like to thank all of you who knew her and made her life so rich and wonderful, and of course we thank her for the incredible life she shared with us. It’s hard to imagine life without her but we will persevere knowing she’s in our hearts and so much a part of who we are.