Bonnie Catherine Smith

Bonnie Catherine Smith passed away peacefully on Monday October 6, 2025, just two days shy of her 86th birthday. She is survived by her sons Lonnie Stevens, Patrick Stevens along with his wife Linda, Michael Stevens along with his wife Samantha, stepson Terry Smith along with his wife Joy Renee, and stepdaughter Pam; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Bonnie is also survived by her sister Leila Spencer.

Bonnie was born on October 8, 1939 in San Francisco. After graduating high school, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy to become a radio operator and achieved the rank of Radioman 3rd Class. While in the Navy, she met and married her first husband Gary Stevens. After separating from service with an honorable discharge in 1962, she gave birth to three boys (Lonnie, Patrick, and Michael) over the course of the next six years. Bonnie and Gary were divorced in 1971 after which Bonnie attended San Jose City College and obtained an AA in Dental Assisting.

As a single mother of three growing boys, Bonnie wanted a better life for her kids than San Jose had to offer so in 1976, she left the Bay Area and purchased property in Auberry, California where she built a home for her adventurous brood. During this time, Bonnie worked for the Fresno County Probation Department as a Probation Clerk, commuting 40 miles back and forth to work each day.

In late 1980 at a “Fireman’s Ball”, she met the love of her life, Marion “Smitty” Smith, an SCE lineman and volunteer Chief of Bald Mountain Fire District. They were married in a small ceremony in Carson City, Nevada on August 29, 1981. Both Bonnie and Smitty hated the daily commute that Bonnie endured so she left her Probation job and became a dental assistant to a local dentist in Auberry, where she was able to put her degree to use.

Bonnie and Smitty loved to travel. It seems every other week they were taking the camper, and often their small boat, on an adventure. Their favorite places were either Morro Bay or the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. After Smitty’s retirement, with the kids having left the nest, Bonnie and Smitty moved first to Reedley, California but the mountains and high country called to them and so they relocated to Hamilton, Montana.

After braving the cold Montana winters for two years, both Bonnie and Smitty had grown tired of the frigid temperatures and moved back to California, settling in Visalia, California – where Marion had family roots. After Marion’s passing in 2005, Bonnie moved into Palm Village Retirement Community in Reedley, California where she would spend her remaining years.

"In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her honor to St. Jude Research Hospital at:

https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?frequency_selected=0&dedication=1&sc_dcm=119765859083&sc_cid=kwp&sl=memorial-gift&&&&&gclid=5ab5882b5e8a144af32be0c4847f9b4e&gclsrc=3p.ds&ds_rl=1285465&ds_rl=1291300&msclkid=5ab5882b5e8a144af32be0c4847f9b4e&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=M%20-%20Core%20Brand%20EX%20EL&utm_term=saint%20jude%20donation&utm_content=PM_PR_Dig_Srch_PM_AO_US_Nat_MS_M-Ads_LF_-_-_-_SERP-Exct_Srch-B_-_-_-_Donate_-_EL_-_-_Srch&tributeeFirstName=Bonnie&tributeeLastName=Smith&amount=50"