A loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law, her final days were spent peacefully with loved ones.
Bonnie was born in Louisville, KY in 1943. She attended Atherton High School, graduating in 1961. As a student, she developed an interest in fashion design, and proudly spoke of her time learning to sew with her grandmother. This interest continued for much of her early life, and she enjoyed designing and sewing clothes for herself, and her family.
In 1964, she married James G. Swain (Jim) in Louisville, KY. They soon moved to Lexington, KY, where they started a family. Employment opportunities in the transportation industry took them to Cincinnati, OH, Winston-Salem, NC, and Cherryville, NC, before finding a permanent home in the Kansas City area in 1977.
Bonnie was a dedicated homemaker, with an extremely kind heart. She worked hard to maintain a stable environment for her children while her husband traveled extensively for work. She loved her nieces and nephews, welcoming them to her home for extended summer vacations. In addition, she cared for her mother during her end-of-life struggles with dementia. Despite her busy family life, Bonnie found the time to volunteer for others, serving as Chairman of the 1980 “Breath of Spring Benefit Ball” for Cystic Fibrosis research.
Later in life, Bonnie overcame meaningful challenges to become a successful businesswoman. In the late 1980’s, she and her husband Jim started a family-owned business in Kansas City. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with cancer, requiring months of rigorous treatment. A decade later, she was again faced with personal challenges, after the untimely death of her husband left her with the uncertainty of managing the family business without its primary leader. Through persistence, a positive attitude, and thoughtful management decisions, Bonnie was able to sustain the family business for several decades after his death.
In her spare time, Bonnie enjoyed traveling with her friends to international destinations including China, England, France, and Russia. She particularly enjoyed traveling to Brazil to spend time with her daughter-in-law’s welcoming family. She also loved being with her grandchildren, and took them on annual trips to theme parks, ski destinations, and beach resorts. Last but not least, she derived a great deal of pleasure from dining out with friends, and shopping for bargains.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband, James G. Swain, her father Franklin C. Dawson, and her mother, Dorothy Bedford Dawson. She is survived by her sons, Robert B. Swain, and James G. Swain, Jr., five grandchildren, two daughters-in-law, and several nieces, nephews, and great grandchildren.
A private memorial service will be held at 10:00am on June 19, 2020, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home at 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131. The service will be webcast live at: https://FB.com/MtMoriahNewcomer
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.
