Bonita Violet Davis

Bonita Violet Davis 1944 – 2022

Bonita passed away quietly at St. Joseph’s Hospital on October 2, 2022, with her husband of 62 years by her side. She was born on May 9, 1944, in Bellingham WA to parents Howard “Bud” Schenk and Violet (Olson) Schenk. She grew up outside of Lynden, attended Meridian schools, then Bellingham High School where she met her husband and the love of her life, James Davis. They married and had three children. She was a wonderful and loving mother, spending hours playing with her young children. She was involved in many of their school and extra-curricular activities throughout the years, including being a Camp Fire leader and a Cub Scouts den mother. She was proud of her family and how close they were, and nothing made her happier than to receive a phone call or a visit from her children and grandchildren.

Bonita was kind and generous and always had time to talk or help a friend or neighbor in need. She liked hosting dinner parties and was known for always being able to accommodate one more guest. No one ever went hungry when she was cooking.

Bonita was a Jill of all trades. From dental hygienist to rabbit farmer to florist, she held several jobs over the years doing whatever was necessary to help support her family. She was an extremely talented person and liked to try new things. Her floral arrangements were beautiful. Every Memorial Day she gathered flowers and greens from her yard and made bouquets to place on the graves of relatives and friends. She loved to cook, collected recipes, and was known for inventing delicious dishes from whatever ingredients she had on hand. She liked to sew, and made clothes for her family throughout the years, including her daughter’s wedding dress. She loved quilting and was always experimenting with patterns and fabrics and filling her home with beautiful creations.

She liked to travel and enjoyed taking road trips with her husband and spending afternoons at the beach. She collected rocks from each place she visited, including one fine piece of asphalt she mistook for a rock and became the subject of family jokes over the years.

Bonita is preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Jean Davis, and half-brother, Sonny Addicott. She is survived by her husband, Jim Davis of the family home, her daughter, Donna (Kevin) Zender, son, Scott (Dana) Brown-Davis, grandchildren, Madeline (Kyle) Zender, Callie Zender, Zachary Brown-Davis, Michaela (Antony) Brown-Davis, half-sister Diane Addicott, half-brothers, Arne (Gail) Addicott, and Ron (Carol) Addicott, and special friend, Betsy (Pitkin) Cassell, and numerous relatives.

A private party celebrating Bonita’s life will be held in late October. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Bonita’s name to a favorite charity.