Bonnie Marie Kirkpatrick was born in Edmonton Alberta on May 12, 1945. The eldest of 5 children, her mother, Marie raised her until she met her father, Neil for the first time, when she was 18 months of age, when he returned from World War 2.
It was a good life being raised on the family farm on the airport rd. Bonnie attended her schooling in Fort St John where she went to Central School until grade 7, then to North Peace Secondary grades 7-12. She organized and was a big part of the school annual when she was in grade 12, the year she graduated. She went to the Baldonnel Christmas concert every year.
She started her working career at a local finance company, later working for Pomeroy and Harrison Law office. The Pomeroy families were a big part of her family's life, all owning adjacent farmland and one of the closest to her was Phyllis, with whom as teenagers, would sneak a smoke in her bedroom, with the door closed, and the window open .... no one will know, right?
She moved to Yellowknife in 1970 and worked for an airline company that hauled freight to Arctic communities. In 1972 she moved to Whitehorse and worked for a federal judge. She ran into an old friend Clayton Martin from Fort St John who was a big game outfitter and originally from Montney. They married on Oct 2nd, 1973. Bonnie loved the outfitter lifestyle - Being out at camp, the wilderness and her wild game cooking was always top drawer. Son Chance Allen was born on November 18, 1975 who was the apple of her eye and she devoted all her love and attention to him. She was a very active volunteer with Chance's sports interests - score keeper at baseball and also archery. Bonnie loved the Yukon and made many trips back to visit friends and family after she left in 1977 and moved to Grande Prairie AB. Bonnie and Chance made several trips to Disneyland, the last including granddaughter Xenovia. Xenovia was born March 8, 2013 and Grandma Bonnie loved to travel to Edmonton to watch Xena perform in her musicals and plays, and also watching her play hardball. Grandma Bonnie was one proud Grandma!
In 1978 she moved with Chance to the North Peace where she has lived ever since. When Chance was grown, Bonnie was running the Northern Lights College bookstore and had a knack for selecting the coolest retail products with a high sales volume. She met Jim Collins in 1993 and they got married February 14, 2001. They enjoyed many happy years together, loving Jim and her life on the farm in Montney, never missing a Montney dance. They also travelled to Ireland, Hawaii, Mexico and spent many winters as snowbirds n Arizona. She enjoyed showing her llamas, as well as taking baking and horticulture entries to the North Peace Fall Fair. Bonnie had a love of horses and her first horse was Rocker. She often rode in her younger years including square dancing on horseback as a teenager. Later, she would convince Dad to look at another horse for them to buy, more for the fun of looking, and spending time together, than buying.
Only 9 months older than her cousin Joann, they have been inseparable from the start, speaking every day, at least by telephone and were more like sisters than cousins.
Bonnie made friends wherever she went, showing a genuine interest in the people she met, and what made them tick, she had a healthy sense of humour, loved a good joke and laughed, even if one was played on her. You were always surprised when the remote fart machine went off under your seat at their house.
A hard core country music lover, Bonnie also loved the guitar and would chord along with her favourite songs in her living room, jamming with Chance, or around the campfire with friends.
Bonnie was a great volunteer, helping out with issues affecting seniors and was very active with SONS from its beginning. She was very active in the struggle to save the Peace Valley from Site C, fighting it with all her heart and soul. She was very pleased .at the hospital when Chance told her it had been cancelled.
Anyone who had a baby that she was friends with or related to received· wonderful blankets that she made with great care. She made rag quilts for the family as well, custom made to the recipients liking.
Bonnie loved the North Peace River country and would never consider moving away, and she also loved animals. She volunteered at the SPCA, raising money, walking the dogs and helping with "Bottle Sundays" (organizing the cans and bottles that were donated). She had many pets over the years, Tufty, Jingles, Buddy and Bandit, her dogs and Murphy, Willie, Waylon and Rocky, her cats.
She did like the casino, a trait most of the Kirkpatricks share. She made many trips to Las Vegas and a good time was always had by all.
She received a devastating diagnosis in July in Vancouver and passed away Aug 5th in Fort St John. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is predeceased by her father Neil and brother Bryan. Survived by her loving husband Jim, son Chance and granddaughter Xenovia, her mother Marie, brother Glen (Myra) and sisters Kelly (Chad) and Sandi (Trevor), 2 aunts Lillian Leiner and Annabel Brekkas, many nieces, nephews and cousins in Canada, Northern Ireland and Switzerland.
