Bonnie Feldman Walker

Bonnie briefly attended the University of Hartford in Hartford, CT, but dropped out in 1968 after having a son with David H. Walker. Bonnie named her son after his father, but tragically, David H. died in 1970. In 1971, Bonnie moved to New Canaan, CT, where she and David lived with the parents of David H., Marshall and Nannie Walker.

Bonnie returned to college and graduated from nursing school in 1973, which marked the beginning of a long career as a registered nurse. She moved with her son to Portland, OR in 1980, and continued to work as a nurse, specializing in mental health. In addition to her tireless work as a nurse and an advocate for the chronically mentally ill, she was a dedicated social justice activist, and spent much of her time to advocating for prison reform. After a work-related injury, she left nursing and returned to school in 1997, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Portland State University.

She was a creative spirit with a rich sense of humor, her favorite color was purple, and she loved to swear. Bonnie could swear like a drunken sailor in a cursing competition, a skill she passed on to her son, David. Of all the things she did in her career as a nurse and as an advocate for social reform, nothing compares to her work as a single mother. Bonnie supported and encouraged her son every day of her life and basked in the glow of his accomplishments.

Bonnie is survived by her son, David; her two brothers; numerous nieces and nephews; and a vast community of friends, not to mention all of the patients she cared for during a career that spanned more than two decades.