Bonnie Louise Mayes

Bonnie Louise Mayes, age 79, of Las Vegas, passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at her home in Las Vegas. She was born November 24, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. and had been a Las Vegas resident for more than 25 years. Bonnie worked with CASA for more than 20 years and founded two LEADS Clubs in Las Vegas. She enjoyed quilting, writing, spending time with her book club and sharing martinis with her friends. Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Douglas; children: Amber and Adam Mayes, and sister: Myrtice Kuhs. Funeral service will begin at 6pm on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at Palm Mortuary, 7979 W. Warm Springs Rd., where family will receive friends 30 minutes prior. Graveside services will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 10:40am Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery. If desired, contributions in Bonnie’s name are suggested to Champions for CASA, 10170 Tropicana Ave. #156-147, Las Vegas, Nevada 89147 or visit https://championsforcasa.org/how-to-help/donate.html.

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Bonnie Louise Mayes was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this woman was an outstanding luminary and that her natural abilities served her well. She knew with certainty how she wanted to set priorities in all aspects of her life. She struck those who knew her as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what she expected from her day and how to set about accomplishing those goals.

Bonnie was born on November 24, 1943 at Methodist Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. Her parents were Lela and Charles Townsend. She was raised in Bell, CA. Bonnie was brought up to be reasonable in her actions and was taught to use her intellect wisely. She was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced her self-confidence. Even at a young age, Bonnie was credited with having a positive influence on those around her. Bonnie was raised with one older sister, Myrtice.

Bonnie's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to her exhibiting leadership qualities early on in her childhood. She liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, she was willing to experiment with different approaches as she worked a plan towards a solution. She was an Honored Queen of Job's Daughters. In her spare time she liked horseback riding and reading.

When it came to academics and school, Bonnie was able to create a system for getting her class work done in a proper and timely manner. She showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which she tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge her own reasoning ability in finding solutions. She graduated from Bell High School in 1961. She enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was English.

The work habits and approaches to studying that Bonnie utilized in high school also served her well in college. Bonnie always seemed on a quest for knowledge. She was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for her classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Bonnie was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Cal State Los Angeles. Her favorite courses were Archeology and Astronomy. She was part of the Young Democrats Club.

In a group of friends and acquaintances, Bonnie was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made her very approachable by others throughout her life. This same quality brought Bonnie the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Bonnie. She believed that she should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way she wanted to be treated. Bonnie also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of her friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Mary Booth and Mary Sigurdson. Later in life, she became friends with many, many wonderful people.

As Bonnie knew in other aspects of her life, she had a clear vision of what she sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On November 2, 1968 Bonnie exchanged wedding vows with Douglas Robert Mayes at First Baptist Church of Downey in Downey, CA. Douglas was a significant part of her life, and it wasn’t necessary for Bonnie to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Bonnie's secret to success was that she always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage. Bonnie and Douglas were blessed with two children, Adam and Amber. She was patient in her dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

Her primary occupation was as a homemaker, and was employed for 35 years with Princess House Crystal. Not only did Bonnie find pleasure in pursuing her various hobbies, she also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. Her skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. Her favorite pursuits were quilting, reading, travelling and star gazing.

Bonnie's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made her a valuable asset to the organizations to which she contributed during her lifetime. Bonnie was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Throughout her later years, Bonnie was an active member of the LEADS Club. She founded two chapters in Vegas. Bonnie was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. When she became active in community affairs, she did so in the same determined and forthright manner that she applied to other aspects of her life, and she volunteered for twenty years with CASA. Politically, Bonnie was a Democrat.

There were occasions in Bonnie's life where she would find herself involved in a cause or leading an organization and event where her drive to complete the project or meet the established goal was more important than her concern for the philosophy behind it. It was this kind of commitment and drive that earned her praise and honors throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included an Outstanding Service Award in 2006, and along with an Excellence Award from the same group in 2012. In 2004, she was given the Leader of the Year award, along with the Thank You For Growth of Las Vegas Chapters award in 2005.

Traveling, especially vacations, was a favorite pastime for Bonnie. She liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. She had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favorite vacations included Alaska, Florida, Jamaica, New England, Paris, and Cambria.

Bonnie was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Her favorite was Misha, a husky malamute mix who died several years ago. They were best friends for twelve years. Her family was rounded out by her current dog, Cooper, a Labrador Poodle mix.

Bonnie passed away on May 21, 2023 at home in Las Vegas, NV. She died from a fast moving brain tumor. It was only three weeks from the diagnosis to her death. She is survived by her husband Douglas, children Amber and Adam, sister Myrtice, and nephew Clint. Services were held at Palm Southwest Mortuary on Warm Springs Road. Bonnie was laid to rest in Southern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, NV.

Bonnie Louise Mayes knew what she wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. She could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Bonnie was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. She was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If she saw that something needed to be done, she was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.