Bonnie Cohen

COHEN, Bonnie

Bonnie Abernathy Cohen, 77, passed away on November 24, 2025, after a long and courageous battle against Alzheimer's disease and more recently a brain tumor.

Bonnie was born on September 14, 1948, in Montgomery, Alabama, to the late Margaret Louise and Leon Russell Abernathy, and spent the large portion of her childhood in Mobile with her older brother Jimmy and younger brother John, the latter of whom passed away much too young. After her teenage years, she moved to Atlanta where she spent over three decades as a legal secretary, including over 20 years with the law firm, King & Spalding. Bonnie worked with some of the firm's prominent partners and a number of associates, who she called her "baby lawyers" and who went on to successful careers. The partners and associates who worked with Bonnie often speak of her dedication to her job, her support of her attorney family, and her effervescent personality.

After two marriages which ended in divorce, Bonnie was steadfast in her desire, in her words, to "never get involved with another man for the rest of my life." And this independent, savvy, and beautiful woman would have been just fine being on her own. But despite her well-thought-out plan, fate intervened. On a sunny afternoon in the Fall of 1992, over a pitcher of margaritas at Rio Bravo Cantina in Peachtree Center, Bonnie met the love of her life, Mark, and the rest, as they say, was magic. Bonnie grudgingly acceded to marrying again and, along with a series of adorable cats (Matilda, Rosie, Emma, and Hannah), Bonnie and Mark lived in paradise (a 1926-built, 1450 square foot, craftsman bungalow in Virginia-Highlands) for nearly 30 years. The loving couple traveled to exotic locations (including London, Paris, Turks and Caicos, and Maui), saw dozens of Broadway shows, toured a plethora of museums and national parks, ate dinner regularly at some of Atlanta's finest restaurants (Colonnade, Mary Mac's, OK Café, and Taqueria del Sol), and spent many summers at Bonnie's favorite place, the beach (Amelia Island).

Although Bonnie never aspired to public office, she spent the better part of her adult life trying to make people smile. And she was incredibly successful in that endeavor. From the servers in restaurants who became her friends, to total strangers who she engaged in conversations with throughout each day, to her friends and family, Bonnie spread joy. If there was an office of Ambassador for Kindness, there would have been no one better qualified to carry out its functions than Bonnie Cohen.

Bonnie is survived by her husband, Mark; her brother, Jimmy; her nieces and nephews; her tabby, Hannah; and a group of friends whose broken hearts will be mended by the memory of her goodness, her humor, her personality, and her love.

A celebration of Bonnie's life will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025, 11:00 AM at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, Georgia 3035.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Furkids, Georgia's largest no-kill animal shelter and rescue facility, and where the Cohens adopted Rosie, Emma, and Hannah, or to the Alzheimer's Association, or to your favorite charity.