Jean Marie (Bonnie) Fernald
Ellsworth
Bonnie Fernald passed away on Nov. 12, 2020, in Portland, Maine, after a brief illness. She was born Jean Marie but known as Bonnie by her friends and family.
She was born May 26, 1948, in Boston, Mass., to William and Marie (Kleiner) Baxter, attended Bangor schools and graduated from Bangor High School in 1966. She went right to work in Bangor at Savings and Loan of Bangor and Penobscot Savings Bank, where she met her future husband, Laurence D. Fernald Jr. They were married on Sept. 19, 1970. They have three children, Laurence D. Fernald III (Lance) and his wife, Ashlyn, of Sullivan, Joanna Bagley and her husband, Vertland, of Harrington and Joseph and his partner Thalia of San Antonio, Texas. They also have three cherished grandchildren who she loved dearly, Ethan and Ayla Bagley of Harrington and Avery Fernald of Sullivan. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother William (Skip) Baxter Jr.
All you had to do is meet Bonnie once. After that, she knew you. She knew your hopes, dreams, favorite dessert, your children and, if you were so blessed, she even knew your grandchildren. The word irrepressible comes to mind, but that only covers part of what she was. She loved life, loved her family deeply, and in return she was loved by all. Her loved ones remember her cooking, her interactions with strangers, her smile, her big personality, but most of all her love of family and that is life’s greatest blessing. She chose to accept what was happening in her life, put what had happened behind her, let it all go and had faith that good things were coming her way.
Bonnie was a dedicated wife and homemaker to Laurence and a faithful communicant of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Ellsworth. Bonnie’s family is also enriched by her many friends especially her sister-in-law Terri Baxter and her good friend since childhood, Cynthia Leonard of Bangor. She is also survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Jane Fernald of Farmington, Conn., Mary Carol and Charles Rumsey of Bangor, Eileen and Donald Fowler of Athens, Ga., Richard and Judy Fernald of Hampden and JoAnn and Kenneth Wicks of Bangor and her aunt, Joanne Leete of Cape Elizabeth, as well as many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank the doctors at Maine Medical Center (Dr. Andrew Heppe, Dr. Meredith Peck) and several nurses in the CICU who took excellent care of Bonnie in her last days. Also, Joan Torrey and Alyssa Langley of the Wound Clinic at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital, the Ellsworth Dialysis Center and her nephrologist Dr. Stephen Comeau and Dr. Michael McGoldrick of EMMC.
Bonnie was a kind and gentle person with an outgoing personality always putting her family before herself and she was a great cook.
In lieu of flowers, you may donate to St. Joseph Catholic Church Capital Campaign, 231 Main St., Ellsworth, or Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, 119 Bucksport Road, Ellsworth.
Due to COVID restrictions, funeral services at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ellsworth on Nov. 27 will be for Bonnie’s family and the committal service will be held at Mt. Pleasant Catholic Cemetery in Bangor at a later date.
Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.