Bonita J. Stoler Obituary
2/7/43 – 05/24/25
Bonnie Jean was born February 7, 1943 to Arthur Frederick Parry and Virginia Marie Heffernan Parry, in Flushing, New York.
Bonnie’s name was chosen by her father. He had been in training during World War II in Texas and was taught some basic Spanish. He came upon the word “Bonita” which he said meant “pretty” as Bonnie’s name. As you can guess, the only place “Bonita” appears in her life was on official documents, and everyone, young and old, always called her Bonnie. Later on, when the Broadway musical of Brigadoon was popular Bonnie loved listening to the song “I’ll go home with Bonnie Jean!”
Bonnie’s family took vacations to Cape Cod in the summers and Bonnie learned to love COLLECTING small ceramic toys and art objects. She became a lifelong collector of many things – penguins, stuffed animals, pin cushions, and nautical memorabilia of all sorts.
Bonnie came to the suburban Philadelphia area when she was 16, when she went to the Charles E. Ellis School for Girls in Jenkintown for the last 2 years of High School. She followed this by enrollment at Beaver College and then Drexel Institute of Technology.
In the 1950s and 1960s Bonnie and her sisters occasionally went to summer camp in upstate Vermont. Bonnie liked the horses and the boating, but she LOVED crafting. She made tile trays, enameled earrings and other things under the teaching of senior counselors, and then learned that she could teach these crafts to other campers. So when she came of age, she became the head Craft Counselor at Holiday Hill Camp!
Bonnie married Dick Stoler, and lived in Ambler and raised their children Rich and Amy there. Bonnie was always proud of Rich’s Scouting activities and Amy’s musical abilities with so many instruments. They gave her pride in herself as a mother.
Bonnie was also known as The Cookie Mom for years when it was time to organize and distribute all the Girl Scout Cookies for the school. Bonnie loved doing this!
Bonnie was employed for a time as the Book Keeper for First Presbyterian Church in Ambler, then working for her last 20 years of employment as an Accounts Payable Clerk at Montgomery County Community College before retiring.
Bonnie enjoyed sewing, knitting, and crocheting for decades, and made many items as gifts for everyone she knew. She embellished many items of clothing with her crafty handiwork. She evolved into quilting work and showed many of her wonderful quilts at fairs in the area. She mastered computer assisted sewing and embroidery, and took a lot of pride in creating unique pieces.
In her later years Bonnie focused more on hand-held arts and crafts. I always looked forward to the newest craft project she was into. When she was able to organize some of her wares for sale at a craft fair at the nursing home, she was delighted to see them sell so well!
Many thanks to Sister Cheryl Simon for drafting most of the verbiage within this Obituary for Bonnie. Bonnie was Predeceased by Sister Devon, and is survived by sister Cheryl, Daughter Amy, Son Richard, and his family with wife Lisa, and daughters Cass and Shayla.
When we think of Bonnie floating up to heaven, We see her being welcomed with open arms by so many who have passed on before her. Our Grandparents, Great Aunts, Parents, Sister, and so many of Bonnie’s dear friends from her life here in Pennsylvania. She held an important place in their lives, and always in their hearts.
Bonnie’s wishes were for you to keep her in your memories, she had requested not to have a formal funeral or gathering after her passing. Her request was to have her ashes shared at a peaceful place with family later on this summer.