Obituary of Bonita Gretchen Mockler

Bonnie was a proud Victoria County farm girl, and she could never give up clearing land and working the soil at their home in Oromocto. Her love of the world meant she never turned down an opportunity for an adventure, and she and her husband were in Spain when the onset of a health issue made them make an emergency return home. Within 36 hours she was recovering from surgery to remove tumours, which had spread and would consume every waking moment until she succumbed six months later.

Bonnie and Michael MacDonald were together for over 43 years, spending the last 27 years as a retired couple who often lived in the close quarters of a 34-foot sailboat or a 27-foot RV. A genuine gift of luck, planning, and a willingness to open the door when opportunity knocked. Many new friends opened the door to them to share their adventures, and they couldn’t be more grateful. A slideshow of their adventures played for days on the hospital room TV, giving them a chance to reminisce with visitors about friends, places, and the many joyous events in Bonnie’s life. Many events involved their chosen family, whom they loved as warmly as their natural family.

Bonnie worked at UNB for many years and supported many volunteer organizations, and was recognized for her work on the local, provincial, and national levels. But what she loved most was getting her hands dirty helping friends and family. Her love for her chosen family equalled the love for her traditional family. The dozens of visits by family and friends while recovering at home and in palliative care, added to the wonderful expressions of love which poured in from around the world, reminded them of how many lives Bonnie had brightened along the way.

Bonnie had a science graduate’s appreciation of the opportunities wells and sinkholes offered to a person with a child’s curiosity. A dearest friend who helped them into boating in the very early 90s told Mike how much she appreciated having someone she could be a 5-year-old with, Bonnie’s kindred spirit.

Choosing not to have children of their own made her appreciate the laughter and antics of nephews and nieces all the more, and they dare not try to list them all, as they would need to include our chosen family’s kids too. Their chosen family’s children became part of Bonnie’s life and enriched it in countless ways as they grew, married, moved away to have children of their own, and Bonnie cherished their visits. The sound of her youngest neighbours playing in her trees or with imaginary forts in her yard brought a huge smile to Bonnie’s drawn face.

A celebration of Bonnie’s life will take place at 2 pm, September 19th, 2026, at the Fredericton Yacht Club, Douglas Harbour Wharf, Douglas Harbour Wharf Rd, Douglas Harbour, NB. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local food bank or consider a non-tax deductible contribution to Hiram Lodge's Books for Bike program by emailing hiram.secretary@gmail.com with instructions that this is a contribution to the Books for Bikes program.