Bonnie Lee Hoover

BONNIE LEE HOOVER (nee O’Brien), aged 65 years, dearly beloved wife for 40 years to William R., loving daughter of the late John L. and Josephine M. (nee Draganic) O’Brien, cherished sister of Maureen Selby (husband Bob), Daniel O’Brien (wife Martha), John “Jack” O’Brien (wife Kathy), Kathy Alice Conley and Patricia Vecchio, treasured sister-in-law to Ron Hoover (wife Holly) and Carol Gager (husband Ken), devoted aunt and grand-aunt to many. Contributions in memory of Bonnie suggested to Cleveland Mounted Police Unit (C.M.P.U.), 1150 E. 38^th St., Cleveland, OH 44114.

A not so very ordinary girl or name. She was my brown eyed girl. She was as shy as a butterfly; But as principled as a nun. She loved her family. She loved the sun (sunsets more then sunrises). She had a special spot in her heart for animals from horses down to chipmunks. Bonnie was athletic. We used to run together and as we got older biking took over. She loved football and knew the difference between man to man vs. cover to defenses. Enjoyed baseball and knew when an outfielder missed the cutoff mark. Loved going to hockey games, even if she was always cold. People have asked me how did you make your marriage last? Great marriages don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of a consistent investment of time, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, affection, prayer, mutual respect and rock-solid commitment between a husband and wife. Most people get married believing a myth that marriage is a beautiful box full of things they long for like companionship, intimacy, friendship, etc. The truth is that at the start marriage is an empty box. You must put something in before you take something out. The love in marriage is between the two people. People have to put the love in marriage. There’s no romance in marriage until it is infused by those two people. The couple must learn the art and form the habit of giving, loving, serving, praising and keeping the box full. If you take out more then you put in the box will be empty. Bonnie loved the church and prayed like a saint. She put the significant in significant other, but she brought the honor to the title of wife. She’s at peace now from this horrific disease and today being the first day of summer (the longest day of the year) has significance to those who also suffer from Alzheimer’s. To sum it up like the song says, “Our lives are better left to chance, we could’ve missed the pain, but we’d have had to miss the dance”. And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.

~Lovingly submitted by her husband William

Mass of Christian Burial Friday, June 21, 2019, at St. Clare Catholic Church, 5659 Mayfield Rd., Lyndhurst at 10:30 AM. Private burial following in Fairview Cemetery (Boston Heights). Family will receive friends to pay tribute and celebrate the life of Bonnie at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID, 4600 MAYFIELD RD. (just East of Green Rd.) THURSDAY 4-8 PM.