Bonnie Saffell Hammond

Bonnie was born on September 9, 1949 in the small town of Mason City, Iowa, to Marion and Phyllis Saffell. She was the oldest of four beloved sisters, including her twin, Connie, Linda, and Barbara. Bonnie attended the University of Georgia, and later the Medical College of Georgia, where she studied Medical Technology to fulfill her desire to help people and save lives. While at the University of Georgia, during the spring of their sophomore years, she met Steve Hammond, with whom she found a deep and long-lasting love and partnership. They were married on January 8, 1972 at the First Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia. A few years later, their son, Mark, was born on September 26, 1977.

Bonnie was a fiercely loving mother, who prized spending her time teaching, doting, and ensuring the happiness and well-being of their son. In the summer of 1984, they relocated up to the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee to follow Steve’s career with Nissan, where they spent the next 38 years of their lives together. During that time, Bonnie developed several life-long friendships, which remain to this day.

She was a private person by nature, but for those who were part of her close circle, she was caring, loyal, giving, and a great listener. In 2014, Steve and Bonnie completed construction on their dream home in College Grove, Tennessee, at the Grove. Bonnie spent months lovingly and thoughtfully decorating their home. On warm days, she would often be found accompanying Steve for a ride on their Bulldog-themed golf cart, riding around the neighborhood and chatting with friends. After Steve retired, they became world travelers where they visited such exotic locations as South Africa, China, and several countries throughout Asia and Europe.

Bonnie was a lover of music. She spent many a day and night listening to her favorite songs and frequently enjoyed going to live music events to hear her favorite artists. More important to her than her music though, was her love of Georgia Bulldog football. She loved watching the games, whether live between the hedges or hunkering down in front of her screen at home cheering them on and barking like a “hairy dawg.” Her favorite time of the year was Christmas. She loved decorating the house with twinkling lights, stockings and garland, and big, bold, Christmas trees. Most importantly, she cherished the time with family and spoiling everyone.

Over the spring of this year, she and Steve decided they wanted to downsize and move closer to their beautiful grandbabies, Joshua and Grace. In July, they relocated to Cumming, Georgia – back to the suburbs of Atlanta where they began their lives together – to celebrate their family. In the last six months, Bonnie was able to enjoy watching Joshua play football and basketball games. For Grace, she adored watching her dance and play lacrosse. These were some of the happiest days of her life getting to be close, again, with her son, Mark, and his family.

Bonnie is survived by her husband, Steve, their son, Mark, daughter-in-law, Allison, two grandchildren, Joshua and Grace, and two sisters, Linda Elson and Barbara Montgomery, and their families. We loved her deeply.

Funeral service will be held Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 2:00 pm at Sandy Springs Chapel. The Family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12:00 pm until the service time at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations please be made in her memory to Canine Assistants or Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Please click the link under the donations tab to be directed to their website.