Joan Durbin Bonham

Joan was born on May 13, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, the beloved daughter of Cornelius and Esther (Geiger) Durbin. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Martha Moore, Joe Durbin, and Dorothy Caine, and by her devoted husband of 41 years, Eldred Bonham. Joan leaves behind her cherished son, Clay Bonham, her daughter-in-law, Karen, and her five grandchildren—Jack, Clare, Matthew, Andrew, and Catherine—who were truly the pride and joy of her life.

A lifelong learner and dedicated educator, Joan graduated from Beaumont School for Girls in 1958, earned her degree in Education from St. John College in 1964, and completed a degree in Guidance and Counseling from John Carroll University in 1971. She began her professional life as a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital, but soon discovered her true calling in teaching.

Joan devoted more than 30 years to shaping young minds, teaching at St. Catherine’s Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, St. Robert’s Elementary School, and St. Philomena’s Elementary School, where she finished her career, retiring in 2002. Over the course of three decades, she impacted hundreds of students, earning deep respect from colleagues, families, and children alike.

On April 8, 1972, Joan married Eldred Bonham at St. Robert’s Church in Cleveland, Ohio. After Eldred’s passing in 2013, Joan moved to the Charlestown Retirement Community, where she embraced new friendships and continued giving of herself—especially through helping care for her beloved grandchildren and serving as a hospice volunteer.

Joan will be remembered as kind, thoughtful, strong, and deeply faithful. A natural planner and problem-solver, she loved a good challenge and found joy in helping others. Above all, she was a loving mother and grandmother whose quiet strength and generous spirit served as a role model to all who knew her.

Family will receive friends at the Sterling Ashton Schwab Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc., located at 1630 Edmondson Ave, Catonsville, MD 21228, on January 9, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

An additional visitation will take place at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church (Charlestown Retirement Community), 711 Maiden Choice Ln, Catonsville, MD 21228, on January 10, 2026, from 10:30 am to 11:00 am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am.

Joan Durbin Bonham’s life was one of service, faith, and love—a legacy that lives on in her family and in the countless lives she touched.