Bonnie Ruth Matheny Mendelson

Bonnie Ruth Matheny-Mendelson passed away peacefully in her sleep of unknown cause, December 22nd, 2020 following a hospitalization in early November of pneumonia. She had lived in Lawrenceville, GA with her brother Ray V. Busby since June 6th , 2019. She was born December 28th, 1942 in Pascagoula, MS but lived in Columbus, MS until completing her 3rd year of college at Mississippi State College for Women, now renamed Mississippi University of Women. She moved to San Diego in May 1966 where she lived until she moved to Lawerenceville to live with her brother and to be near his son Zack R. Busby, his wife Nikki L. Courter Busby, and their two children Carson (12) and Scarlet (3). Bonnie’s only sister, J. Rebecca “Becky” Busby, Psy.D., lived in San Diego for 35 years where they spent a great deal of time together over the years. Becky had planned to move to Lawerenceville, GA in Fall of 2020 but Covid-19 hit, she currently lives in Oregon. Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband of 20 years Lawrence “Larry” Mendelson, her parents, Emma Ruth Duckworth Matheny Busby and Clyde Matheny, her older brother, W. Mike Matheny; all three were from Columbus, MS. She was preceded in death by Larry’s parents Jack and Irene Mendelson. Bonnie had no children. Therefore, her brother, sister, and nephew Zack R. Busby and his family were the joy of her life along with her many pets over the years. Bonnie was very close to her cousin Bobby and his wife Sharon Richardson of Columbus, MS. She has many cousins, and friends in both Columbus, MS. And San Diego, CA Bonnie completed her Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in San Diego. She worked for many years and retired from University of California San Diego as a Rehabilitation Counselor. Her husband Larry was also a Rehabilitation Counselor. She spent many years singing with the San Diego Sweet Adeline’s Chorus. She loved going to San Diego beaches, walking canyons, and traveling with her husband and friends. She loved dancing and took many classes in dance. Most recently, Bonnie took ten years of Flamenco lessons. She secretly always wanted to be a performer and was always involved in some performance art or the other. She also dearly loved animals. Bonnie left behind her beloved pets: her black lab Maggie, 1 cockatiel Buddy-Holly, and 2 Siamese cats, Boogie (a Standard Apple-head Siamese) and Moon-Pie (an Oriental Short Hair Albino Siamese). Bonnie and Becky agreed many years ago that Becky would inherit all Bonnie’s animals when and if Bonnie passed first. Becky will be arranging pet transport from Lawerenceville, GA to Molalla, OR where Bonnie’s fur-babies will be blended into Becky’s animal menagerie. The one thing everyone who ever met Bonnie said was how sweet she was. Indeed, there was no one sweeter than Bonnie Ruth Matheny-Mendelson.

Bonnie Ruth Matheny Mendelson

December 28, 1942 - December 22, 2020