Bonnie Howarth

Marie Alice "Bonnie" Howarth

​Bonnie was very proud of being a native-born San Franciscan of native-born parents, Catherine and Joseph Howarth. Three of her grandparents left Ireland in the early 1900s and came to San Francisco.  They became American citizens and contributed to the economic, social and cultural life of the city.  Her Howarth grandparents were married in the original St. Francis of Assisi in North Beach.

Bonnie attended St. Agnes and Notre Dame grammar schools and graduated from Notre Dame High School. Bonnie earned two degrees and her teaching and counseling credentials at San Francisco State University.  She spent her entire professional career in the South San Francisco School system.  She served in several schools as a teacher and counselor at the Junior High level.  

She loved living in San Francisco and liked to say she lived in houses unique to San Francisco - Victorian, Edwardian, Marina-style and a cottage on the Vulcan Street stairs. She enjoyed the wide variety of experiences the city had to offer: movies, plays, museums, the Symphony, the Opera, art galleries and more. She heard Maria Callas and Jenny Tourel sing. She especially liked to listen to and dance to the music of Lu Watters and his Yerba Buena Jazz Band at the Dawn Club on Annie Street. She liked the popular tunes of the '20s and '30s and knew the words to dozens of songs of that period.

During her lifetime she was blessed with many friends.  At each stage of her life – high school, college, professional life and retirement – she had good, strong, understanding friends to share her life.

Above all, Bonnie loved her cats.  They lived long and happy lives because she took such good care of them.  Lorenzo, Jenny and Valentine, Cuppie and Chloe were all much loved.

Bonnie enjoyed reading and talking about books.  She had a fairly extensive library which she willed to the Mechanics' Library and Institute.  

Bonnie moved to Sonoma in 1990 to be near her dearest Mary.  She joined AAUW and was an active participant in Readers' Roundtable and the Film Forum. She made many good friends in AAUW, as well as her wonderful neighbors on Woodland and Cragmont Drive.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Evelyn, and Evelyn's son Chris.  Also by her brother Joe and Joe's son Fr. Joseph Howarth and Joe's sister Cara. She is survived by her treasured Mary, of 60 or more years, her nephew Tony Gorden and his wife, Lana, his daughter Joelene, her husband Aric and their sons Cody and Evan, and their Uncle Joah. She is also survived by her niece Regan Reid, and niece Erin Doyle and her husband Mike, Erin's daughter Emily and Emily's son Alex and Erin's daughter, Melissa and Jamie and Jamie's daughter, Avery. She is also survived by her deceased nephew's daughter, Evelyn and her husband Moses and by Evelyn's mother Carol and her husband, David. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Pets Lifeline or the Vintage House in Sonoma, California.  

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