Bonnie Cohen

Bonnie Sue Bower Cohen, 71, of Wellington, Florida and Middlebury, Vermont, passed away peacefully at home on May 5, 2023. She was born December 20, 1951, to David Bower and Miriam Bower (neé Bernstein) as younger sister to Mark Bower.

Bonnie’s world revolved around her family and friends, those with two legs and with four. If wealth be judged by the depth and breadth of love given and received, Bonnie was the wealthiest woman in the world. She was the most loving, devoted and selfless daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband Barry, daughter Mindy (Machera) and son-in-law Matt, son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Wendy Chow, grandson Lucca Machera, brother-in-law Harold Cohen and sister-in-law Linda, sister-in-law Nadine Bower, nephew Mitchell Cohen and nieces Shari Bower Weitz, Jaime Bower Lewis and Alisha Bower Grimm and their families, and most of all, her adoring dog, Arlo.

Bonnie’s love of dogs and support of animal rescue were hallmarks of her life of love and service. Over four decades, Bonnie’s home was run for the comfort of her dogs Harpur, Bailey, Jeter, Jolene and Arlo. Anytime she encountered dogs in public, her face lit up at meeting a new friend.

Bonnie was a born-and-bred Brooklynite, growing up in post-war Boro-Park with her parents, brother Mark, Uncle Morris and Aunt Olga. After graduating from FDR High School, Bonnie went upstate to attend Harpur College in Binghamton, New York. While there, working as a draft counselor during the Vietnam war which she strongly opposed, she displayed an early talent for helping others navigate bureaucracies in the cause of social justice, something she would continue throughout her lifetime. In the summer of 1971, Bonnie caught the attention of an upper-classman from Queens, and a mutual friend attempted to introduce them at a party. When Bonnie didn’t show, Barry sought her out, and so began their 52-year love affair.

When Barry moved to Miami for law school, Bonnie joined him. She began her Florida life working in a law office and later as a bank teller to support them until Barry finished law school. When the couple followed Hal and Linda to West Palm Beach for Barry’s first job as an Assistant State Attorney, Bonnie went to work for the Social Security Administration, amassing knowledge that would serve her well in the next phase of her career.

For 29 years, Bonnie worked at the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in the Elder Law Project, helping people navigate the unnecessary and burdensome red tape and the all-too-many holes in our governmental safety-net as well as the difficult topic of living wills. Deeply frustrated by those constraints on her ability to help as many seniors as she would have liked, Bonnie’s most proud achievement was the development and maintenance of Elders on the Edge, a fund created to pay seniors’ critical bills that otherwise unpaid would send them tumbling onto the streets and into poverty. Building on that success, she later partnered with the Vickers House to provide financial assistance to help the needy care for emergencies related to their beloved pets.

Bonnie relished her retirement and split time between Florida and Vermont. In Vermont, she adored living next door to her beloved Hal and Linda. Sitting on the back deck in the crisp air just before dusk with all the Cohen dogs underfoot, gazing at a rolling valley of farm fields unfolding into the Green Mountains, she was more at peace there than anywhere else.

Bonnie took pride in being the head of her family. She worked tirelessly to ensure that her people had everything they needed, and they fiercely loved her for it. She leaves a piece of herself behind in all those who knew her and loved her. Her passing has created an immeasurable gap in our hearts, and we will hold tight to our cherished memories forever.

A memorial service will take place at 230pm on Sunday May 7, 2023 at IJ Morris Star of David, 9321 Memorial Park Rd., West Palm Beach, Florida. Donations in Bonnie’s honor and memory can be made to Big Dog Rescue Ranch and the American Cancer Society.