Anne Bonnell Warren

Anne Brewster Bonnell Warren, born in Newark, New Jersey in September, 1939 to Frank and Audrey Bonnell, passed away on Friday, November 27th, 2020, at Manor by the Sea nursing home in Ocean Grove New Jersey. Her passing followed a 6 year battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

A life-long Jersey Girl, Anne lived most of her life on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay, walking barefoot on the beaches of Barnegat, Long Beach Island, and finally, Belmar where she lived out the last 6 years of her life. Anne married her high school sweetheart, Chuck Warren, in 1959. Shortly after, the US Army took the couple to Munich, Germany where the first of their children, Charles, was born in 1963. Stationed in Germany until 1964, Anne and Chuck were able to tour much of Europe, which sparked a love of travel in Anne that never faded. Anne’s second child, Christian, was born in 1968, while Anne and Chuck lived in Plainfield, NJ. Anne had a lifelong love of the theater which began with her parent’s involvement with the Kenyon Players of Plainfield, and then the Surflight Theater on Long Beach Island. She was involved with the Edison Valley Playhouse until 1976 when she relocated to South Jersey, where she ultimately flourished. Working hard to raise two children on her own, Anne commuted to North Jersey daily until the desire to spend more time with her kids gave her a business idea and, in 1981, The Secretary Shop was born. Founded with a friend long before computers became household fixtures, the small business provided secretarial, answering, and notary public services to individuals and small business owners along the Jersey Shore. Originally founded in Manahawkin, The Secretary Shop was relocated to Forked River until 2005, when it was moved into Anne’s Barnegat home. A true “people person,” Anne genuinely cared about everyone she met, and, as a place of business and unofficial social club, The Secretary Shop became the source of many life-long friendships and professional relationships that remained strong until her death. Anne was a loving mother, but not only to her own children. She was everyone’s Mom, given nicknames like Ma, Mammie, or Queenie by her children’s friends. Her home was a port in the storm for so many people, with an open door and a comfortable place to lay a weary head for any and all who needed one. She had tremendous pride in her historic Barnegat home, having remodeled the building inside and out with the help of her two sons and an endless list of friends and family over her 31 years of ownership. Her colorful collections of tin boxes, cast iron toys, Asian art, Southwestern collectibles, and many other antiques were on display in every room. Anne could change a tire, cook a meal for 30, bail a kid out of jail, park a truck, reupholster a couch, and swing a hammer with the best of them. She was fearless, taking on any task with confidence and always surprising skill. Anne never turned down the opportunity for a new adventure. She drove across the country twice while in her sixties, climbed a glacier in Alaska, flew in a helicopter, and sailed on a tall ship. She also started several businesses and packed living into every day of her life. Anne Warren is survived by her two sons, Charles (Chuck) and Christian (Chris), and his wife Nicole Whitcraft Warren. She is also survived by her two siblings, Margo B. Kunze of Belmar, NJ and Linda Gulnac of Olean, New York, as well as five nieces, three nephews, and their extended families. She will be deeply missed by her family, her friends, and the many people whose lives she touched over her 81 years. Due to the current coronavirus disruptions, services will be held at a later date. Once available, more information will be found at the Anderson Campbell Funeral Home, Manchester, NJ, at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/manchester-nj/anne-warren-9921929

You can also stay informed by visiting her online memorial website at - https://everloved.com/life-of/anne-warren/ where website visitors can also subscribe to receive service updates and other news.

If you would like to make a donation in her memory, please contact the Hospice Foundation of America or follow this link to their website – https://hospicefoundation.org/Donate