BONNIE MESSING

MESSING--Bonnie L., 56, died on December 14, 2017 after a recurrence of cancer. She was hiking two weeks before and maintained a vigorous lifestyle with her family and friends up until the very end of life. Bonnie was a finance executive who worked at multiple corporations including ITT, Citi, Lehman Brothers and Prudential. She had an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Her husband was most impressed with her varsity letter from the Yale crew team where she served as a coxswain. Most recently she was the Chief Operating Officer at Geller and Company. Bonnie served on the boards of Pro Mujer and Yale Alumni Chorus. At Pro Mujer she advocated for women in Latin America attempting to improve economic opportunity as well as health care. At the Yale Alumni Chorus she advocated for song to bring international understanding and to improve relationships between international communities. Bonnie was known for her intelligence, humor, ready smile, and optimistic outlook. When she entered any room, the room lit up with light and joy. She was a powerful presence with a win-win personality even before win-win became popular. She was a mentor to younger colleagues and especially enjoyed helping younger women in business. She was a strategic thinker and often the smartest person in the room, with an infectious smile that was her trademark. Bonnie's father, Robert Messing, predeceased her. She is survived by her husband, Steve Pavlakis; her mother, Norma Messing; her identical twin Robin MessingBogdanoff and younger sister Susan Messing (Michael McCarthy); her son James Sui, daughters Alexandra Pavlakis (Matthew Rathbone) and Ariadne Pavlakis; grandchildren Elias and Alethea; and numerous extended family members and extensive network of friends from every corner of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bonnie's name can be made to Pro Mujer.