Florence B. Boyer

Florence B. Boyer of Des Plaines. A celebration of life service for Florence B. Boyer (nee Bonnell), 96, will be held at 3 p.m. May 1, at the First Congregational Church of Des Plaines, 766 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. Interment is private. Born Feb. 21, 1915, in LaGrange Park, to Phoebe Judson Bonnell and Rolland Bonnell. She died March 18, 2011, at Oakton Pavillion Nursing Home in Des Plaines. Growing up in LaGrange, Florence loved music, outings to Lily Lake, Girl Scouts, and her school friends. After graduating from Lyons Township High School in 1932, she used her baby-sitting money to visit an aunt in Hollywood, catching glimpses of movie stars. Florence worked as a secretary in Chicago (her first job paid $12 a week), at the Merchandise Mart. She studied journalism at Northwestern University Night School and was a member of journalism sorority Iota Sigma Epsilon. She and Carl were married in 1940 and lived in Chicago, moving in 1948 to their new home at 548 Webford Avenue in Des Plaines. She served her community through her journalism, writing, and organizational talents. She researched and wrote a series of articles in 1956 for the Des Plaines Suburban Times to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Central School in Des Plaines, and in the ‘60s was the newspaper’s “Central Circuit” neighborhood columnist. She also wrote publicity for several local non-profit organizations. She was a Cub Scout den mother and leader of Brownie and Girl Scout Troop 264. She served on PTA, church, and Girl Scout committees, and helped sell untold numbers of Maine West Music Booster chocolate bars and Girl Scout cookies. In addition to her volunteer activities, she worked as a secretary at Maine West High School and at the First Congregational Church of Des Plaines. She was always the person you called for advice, sympathy, a phone number, cupcakes for a classroom, a ride, a friendly chat. She excelled at keeping in touch with friends and family. She was loved for her kindness and generosity, while carrying her own human portion of difficulty and sadness with determination and grace. She delighted in her mother’s singing, her grandmother’s irises which she transplanted in Des Plaines, her childhood dolls, the Saturday afternoon opera on the radio, her satiny blue Chinese jacket, her children’s achievements. Florence was the wife of the late Carl J. Boyer; mother of Norman P. Boyer of Oak Lawn, Arline Boyer (Joel) Epstein of Greenwich, CT, and Howard L. Boyer of Cairo; grandmother of Michael J. Epstein (Jesse Mintz-Roth) of Brooklyn, NY; sister of the late Judson (Dorothea) Bonnell and the late George (the late Ella Mae) Bonnell; sister-in-law of the late Fred (the late Pauline) Boyer and the late Ann Boyer; aunt of Kathie Bonnell (Al) Martin, Richard (Bonita) Bonnell, George (Jeanette) Bonnell, Wayne (Eleanor) Boyer, Donald (Carol) Boyer and Robert (Betty) Boyer; she is also survived by grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the

First Congregational Church of Des Plaines.