Bonnie Jane Garmon

Bonnie considered herself to be a southerner and proudly made this known in many ways, including using “good ole girl” in her email address. She was known by her family and friends for her excellent cooking and baking, especially southern cooking. In 2014, she compiled her favorite recipes in a self-published cookbook, which begins: “I grew up in the South. I learned to eat in the South and to cook in the South. So, it’s not surprising that this is a collection of mostly Southern style recipes, with a few Northern ones throw in. And, just to show that I have traveled a bit, I threw in a few international ones.” Over the years, she and her husband, James (“Jim”), and their children lived in Virginia, Maryland, Germany and Great Britain, before she and Jim settled in Cocoa, about 25 years ago.

Bonnie loved researching genealogy and local Florida history. She was an active member of the Brevard Genealogical Society and Co-Chair of its Research Committee from 2004 to 2010. Bonnie and Jim co-authored “Indian River Country Volumes 1 through 4,” a collection of articles from the Florida Star newspaper detailing how Indian River inhabitants lived and worked in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The four volumes are available on Amazon and are currently ranked #6,920,434.

While living in Maryland, she volunteered for many years at Woodside Elementary School in Glen Burnie, Maryland and later at the Anne Arundel County Police Department. For her years of dedicated volunteer work at Woodside Elementary, she was awarded lifetime PTA membership. In addition to volunteering, Bonnie also enjoyed cross-stitch embroidery and, in her later years, adult coloring books. She was an avid reader with a particular interest in British history and the reign of King Henry VIII.

Bonnie is survived by her husband of 57 years, James, sons, Donald and James, daughter, Veronica (“Vicki”), and grandchildren, Daniel, Jessica, and Matthew.

A memorial service commemorating Bonnie and her life will be held Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:00 AM at the Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home, Merritt Island, Florida.