Bonnie was born in Mount Vernon, Wash., on Feb. 1, 1958, and passed peacefully in Seattle, Wash., on April 17, 2021. She succumbed to a short but difficult battle with cancer.
A Washington native growing up on Whidbey Island, Wash., is where her love for beaches, small towns and her love for the family began. She resided in Olympia, Wash., for many years where she raised her three young children.
In 1999, she married and moved to Shelton, Wash., where the two families joined and shared a blended family. Making her mark in the community, for 21 years Bonnie worked for the Shelton school district, where she touched the lives and hearts of so many.
Bonnie is preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Jeanette Alexander. She is survived by her spouse Jess Pearce; her children Jennifer Steele, Jeremy Sage, Jeanette Cruz and Janessa Pearce; siblings Debra Edwards, Shelley Brown and Scott Alexander; grandchildren Eryn Steele, Keith Steele, Cynthia Steele, Julian Cruz, Mya Cruz and Kaden Cruz; great grandchildren Kenai and Jayden Steele; and her cherished work family at Oakland Bay Junior High.
Our beloved Bonnie was a remarkable mother, nana and best friend to her children and grandchildren. Her family is what she treasured the most in her life. She was the best listener, most genuine, caring, strongest, fun yet introverted, determined, and meticulous woman. All who were so blessed to know her, knew her love for shopping, coffee, black clothing — perfectly ironed, of course — the perfect placement of her hair before applying that hair spray, good skin care, the water, traveling, fishing, animals, great TV shows, crocheting/knitting/quilting, cooking, country music, talking on the phone for hours, sharing advice, time with friends and family, celebrating holidays and birthdays, and, did I say, shopping?
Her strong will to live and love for her family is what kept her here with us after her first big battle with cancer. She was a success story for a clinical trial stem cell transplant in 2004. That transplant gave her 16 more years with all of us and has continued to save many others’ lives, today. Her courage is admirable. I do not know another person, as strong as our mother.
Gone too soon, our sweet Bonnie Lynn, you are forever leaving a hole in our hearts that no one can fill. We mourn the life you lost and the life that you never had the opportunity to live throughout your battles. We promise to continue honoring you. We take comfort in knowing that you are no longer in pain and are now surrounded by all our family who also left us far too soon. You will always stay with us for birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings and keeping an eye on us, calling us by our first and middle names when appropriate, laughing and crying with us, reminding us WHO we are made of and how much stronger we are together.
We love you, more.
