Sonja Romanowski

Our sweet Sonja passed from this life into the presence of her Lord and Savior on Thursday, April 4, 2024. She was recently diagnosed with cancer (the week before!) Survived by her adored cousin Barbara Jean Bilger and her sister-in-law, Doris Campbell Romanowski and a large family of friends. Preceded in death by parents Elma Bilger and Raymond Romanowski, brother R. Ernest, Jr., and cousin Dr. A. Paul Bilger, Jr., and her dear friend Diana Kay (DeeDee) Mitchell. She and her brother with their parents experienced travel all over the world. Sonja and DeeDee continued to travel to over 50 countries. Over the years we all heard fabulous stories and if you happened to be going somewhere and checked with her, she would suggest experiences and restaurants she could recall with ease.

Sonja was born at Florence Nightingale Baylor Hospital in Dallas and was a descendant of the Romanov Family. Graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1958 active in many organizations. St. Paul’s Church was her church from birth as her Great Grandfather Theophilus Tanner and Grandfather Raymond Romanowski were pastors of the Church founded in 1890.

Sonja graduated with a BA in Psychology from Tulane University Newcomb College in 1962 and her MSW in 1964 from Tulane School of Social Work. She was a long-time supporter of her alma mater as were her parents. She endowed a professorship in Social Work that will support the research and scholarship of faculty members in the early stages of their careers.

Sonja had a long career in social work primarily with Hope Cottage and Terrell State Hospital. Sonja was an active member of the National Association Social Workers (NASW). She was honored by her peers as the Social Worker of the Year in 1979 and with the Lifetime Achievement in Social Work in 1999. She served on the Board of Directors of the Community Council of Greater Dallas and was on the Executive Committee. She was a founder of the Dallas Commission on Children and Youth.

As a daughter of a florist, she worked in her youth at Bilger Florist and Greenhouse, 3525 Greenville. She was curious about everything and interested enough to research and pass along her findings. A genius in mathematics, she used this to manage budgets and investments for herself and organizations. She donated her time and money to organizations in Dallas as well as all over the world.

For over a decade, she supported the Blue Candlelight Music Series. She consistently invested her time and understanding as a board member, addressing any challenge that arose. She played a vital role as a driving force, a dedicated advocate and influential leader. She enjoyed every concert to the fullest, meeting and engaging with the artists after the performance.

She judged candy with her cousin Barbara and sister-in-law Doris at the State Fair of Texas. She loved to play Canasta with friends and toward the end of the Pandemic would play with masks on. She was active in the Newcomb Alumni Book Club/Newcomb Alumni Association. She attended the Rejebian Book Series at HPUMC during the Summer with many friends and visitors she invited. She did her research and voted in every election and encouraged others to do the same.

Thanks to Dr. Modi, Dr. Nunez, and the staff at Presbyterian Hospital at Dallas, especially staff of the second floor Jackson Building. Special thanks to her family of friends for being there. And to her Church Family a grateful thank you for your love and caring spirit over the years. She loved her Church family.

She was a woman of honesty and integrity, and she never met a stranger. The attention she gave every friend was like you were her only friend. Sonja lived God’s greatest commandment to love one another.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, April 27th at 2:00 pm at St. Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ, 6464 East Lovers Lane, Dallas 75214. Wear something colorful and perhaps a piece of jewelry with a story.

Link for live zoom of memorial service:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86793268528?pwd=M0UxMGo4Q2JGM2xLcGhOK3RkZXBZdz09

Meeting ID:86793268528 Passcode: 877212

Please send memorials to St. Paul’s Church or the AlCopelandFoundation.org for Cancer Research & focus on Merkel Cell Carcinoma.