Bonnie Elizabeth Twietmeyer

Bonnie Elizabeth Twietmeyer, 77, of Virginia, passed away on May 13, 2026. Born on February 5, 1949 in Rochester, New York, Elizabeth lived a life marked by resilience and deep faith. She was a woman who faced extraordinary challenges, and who found meaning, beauty, and grace in the people and creatures around her.

Elizabeth began her working life at just sixteen as a nursing assistant, and by eighteen had enrolled in nursing school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She married Albert Lawler in 1970, and they had two children before relocating to Newport News, Virginia. There, she went on to earn her nursing license and associates degree in 1976 from Thomas Nelson Community College. Over two decades, she built a dedicated nursing career in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, and Louisiana. In 1992, she obtained certification as a Registered Rehabilitation Nurse. She gave of herself in service to others, right up until her knees would no longer allow it.

In 1996, she settled back home near her mother and grandmother in the Richmond area. She explored other avenues of work for some years and in 2009, she obtained an additional degree from Ashford University and pursued work in elementary education before deciding retirement was probably an acceptable option for her.

In 2021, she moved to northern Virginia to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law. She was able to move into Culpepper Gardens in 2024, an independent senior community that she loved.

Elizabeth faced much adversity, both physically and mentally. Through it all, faith was a cornerstone. Raised Lutheran, she later found spiritual homes wherever she was living at the time. Her relationship with God carried her through losses that would have broken many — the end of her marriage, years of estrangement, and the grief of losing pets and relationships along the way.

Elizabeth is survived by her mother, Jeanette S. Kahn, in Sandston, Virginia; her brothers Ted Twietmeyer, and Ronald Twietmeyer; daughter Sharon and her husband Dave Sobel in Fairfax, Virginia; her son, Sean Lawler who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia; three granddaughters, Alana, Brooke and Rilee; and three great-grandchildren, all who live in Virginia. She valued family and a lot of her favorite memories involved spending time with family members.

Beyond nursing, Elizabeth was a woman of many gifts. She built dollhouses, did embroidery projects for family members, and wrote poetry. One of her poems, “Quiet Observation in a Storm,” was published in the Celebration of Poets Showcase Edition in December 1998. She had a special love for greeting card verse and a deep joy in the written word. She volunteered as a literacy tutor, believing wholeheartedly in the power of reading to change a life.

A memorial service will be held on June 26, 2026 at 2 pm at Unity of Richmond Church at 800 Blanton Avenue in Richmond, Virginia and livestreamed on the Unity Richmond YouTube Channel. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the Culpepper Gardens-Arlington Community Foundation (https://culpeppergarden.org/donate/donate-online/) that provides critical financial subsidies for residents’ care and housing costs.