Mary Katherine Bonavia

Mary K. “Meow” Bonavia, 41, of Rockford, died unexpectedly on November 13, 2020 at her home. Born in Rockford on May 8, 1979, she was the youngest child and only daughter of Peter D. & Phyllis A. (Lane) Bonavia. Mary grew up in Rockford and graduated from Guilford High School, Class of 1997. Following high school graduation, Mary attended Northern Illinois University earning her BA in Communications.

Survivors include her parents, Peter and Phyllis Bonavia of Rockford; 3 brothers, Peter
(Sarah) Bonavia of Pineville, NC, David Bonavia (Lisa Daugherty) of Loves Park, IL
and Dan Bonavia of Minocqua, WI; uncle, Don Bonavia of Loves Park, IL; aunt, Mary Lane and cousins, Erin and John Lane all of St. Paul, MN. Mary was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents; partner, Justin Fox; uncle, Tom Lane and cousin, Brian Lane.

Mary enjoyed the simple things in life. She loved her home, cats, making people laugh and helping others. We have so many cherished memories over the past 41 years that will remain in our minds and hearts forever. Growing up with 3 older brothers meant never a dull moment. To survive she had to know a lot about sports. She loved the Cubs and Bears and enjoyed watching them. Mary’s quick wit and dry sense of humor will be remembered by those who knew her. Mary was a unique individual that cared immensely about other people. The past seven years she loved her “dream job” at Rosecrance working in many different capacities and had a deep affection and respect for all of her co-workers and clients. Mary earned her CADC certification and was a Recovery Coach. During her 13 years of recovery she thrived on helping others that were struggling with addiction issues. She loved cats, especially her cat, Dolce. Many people knew Mary as “Meow” which is how she greeted everyone. I am sure many didn’t know her real name but would refer to her as “Meow”. We believe that she did this to put people at ease and break down barriers to make communication easier. It worked for her. Mary made a difference in many people’s lives and they made a difference in hers. We are so proud of her and the contributions she made to our community. She knew how much we loved her, and we knew how much she loved us. MEOW!

Due to Covid19, a walk-thru visitation will be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford, IL 61108. All those in attendance must wear masks and follow social distancing requirements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family which will be used to establish a special memorial in Mary’s name at Rosecrance.
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