Dora S. Bonilla

Dora Sapayo Bonilla, 91 of Pelham, passed away on Thursday, October 29, 2015. Dora was born in Guantanamo, Cuba on February 3, 1924. She married Julio Bonilla on April 2, 1947. She left Cuba with her husband in 1963 and became a naturalized citizen of the USA on January 2, 1980. She retired as the head front office cashier of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, FL. Mrs. and Mrs. Bonilla moved to Birmingham, AL in 1984 to be closer to her sons who had made Alabama their home.

Mrs. Bonilla is preceded in death by her husband, Julio B. Bonilla; parents, Jacobo Sapayo and Esther Ojalvo; and brother, Israel Sapayo. She is survived by her sons, Marco Bonilla (Jill) and Ruben Bonilla (Jill); brother, Samy Sapayo (Gladys); grandchildren, Rosemary Bonilla Denney (Brian), Ana Victoria Bonilla Correa (Rafael) and Julia Bonilla; great grandchildren, Juliana Elizabeth Denney, Francesca Brianne Denney and Isabel Bonilla Denney; nephew, Jacobo Sapayo, and nieces, Esther Sapayo and Elizabeth Sapayo.

The family will host a celebration of Mrs. Bonilla’s life from 6pm until 8pm on Monday, November 9, 2015 at Southern Heritage Funeral Home, with a time for shared memories at 7pm.