Bonnie "Bootsie" Eakin

Bonnie Jeanette Corley Eakin was born on the fifth of February 1946 in Nacogdoches, Texas. She is the only child of Troy Pete Corley and Johnnie Faye Williams Corley. Boo is survived by children Troy Eakin (Leigh Anne Eakin) of Lufkin and Holly Wills (James Wills) of Flint; grandchildren Taylor Eakin, Anna Sauer (Kyle Sauer), Hannah Eakin and Abby Wills; and great grandchildren Sadie Eakin, Madison Sauer, and Emily Sauer. She is preceded in death by the father of her children, John Prycer Eakin, and her two beloved pets, Lucy and Tank.

Bootsie resided in Lufkin for much of her adult life, playing piano for Chestnut Drive Baptist Church and Herty Baptist Church respectively. More recently, Boo moved to Flint where she found a home in Flint Community Church, occasionally playing for special services there.

Boo’s favorite pastime was to play the piano, and so many of us were lucky enough to hear her during a funeral or wedding throughout East Texas. If she wasn't sitting on the piano bench, Boo was probably treating herself to lunch or seeking out a fresh crime scene. The hobby that came easiest to her, though, was making people laugh. We can only imagine the side stitches she’s given the Lord already.

Bootsie was a member of the Kiwanis Club in Lufkin and one fourth of the Christian girl group, One Accord. Boo’s first experience with singing for money, however, was when she and some friends unknowingly entered a contest in Garrison in high school. They won and each received five dollars!

In 1995, One Accord entered and won a singing contest, with the prize being an opportunity to record a CD in Nashville. The girls were boarded, and the plane was prepared to take off when Boo panicked, jumped up, and demanded they stop the plane. Her friends gave her a Xanax, and she made it to Tennessee, but Boo never flew unmedicated again.

A few of our favorite Boo-isms are as follows: Boo mistakenly deposited a hub cap at the Cadence Bank when she rolled onto the curb in the drive-thru. We suppose it wasn't embarrassing enough the first time, so she did it again a few months later. Once, she saw a policeman sitting under an overpass. Only Boo would assume he was having car trouble. She went to ask if she could help him. He let her know that he was trying to clock people speeding. A few months ago, Boo bought a new iPad. She was concerned about someone swiping the personal information stored on her old iPad, so she stuck it in a plastic bag and beat it with a hammer. Turns out, she’d destroyed the new one by mistake, and we really don't know if the hammer thing would've worked anyway.

We’d love to list them all, but there simply isn't enough paper in the world. We hope our memories helped you recall some of your own about our beloved Boo. It doesn’t need to be said, but if you knew Boo, you loved her. The toughest goodbyes down here must be the most joyful hellos in heaven.

And Boo’s last request: in lieu of donation, please send flowers.

Friends and family are invited to a visitation from 1:00-2:00pm, on Monday, December 29, 2025 with funeral service to follow at 2:00pm.

Interment to follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Garrison, Texas.

Services are under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors.