Alencia Denice Whittenberg

Alencia Denice Bonner Whittenberg passed into the loving arms of her Savior on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at Baylor Scott and White Hospital Dallas.

Alencia was born at the Barnes Maternity Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri, on July 23, 1955. She was the second child and only daughter of seven children. Alencia was born to Reverend Bennie Frank Bonner Sr. and Allie Mae Williams Bonner. Alencia grew up in her father's church in East Saint Louis, Illinois, where she accepted Christ as her Savior at a young age. She loved to sing in the Southern Missionary Baptist Church choir, where her father served as Associate Minister. Due to her mother’s declining health and her own loving nature, she was like a mother to her brothers and became the matriarch of her family. On September 11, 1986, Alencia married James Aghayere. They brought three children into the world. Alencia strived for educational success, became a National Merit Scholar in High School, and was the first of her siblings to get a college education. She first attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. This led to her first career, where she worked as a pharmaceutical professional for Baxter Healthcare and Nalco Chemical Company. When her young family began to grow, she resigned to focus on her family. Alencia became a homemaker and took several years to homeschool her children. Later, she continued her education while raising her young sons and working as an Operations Analyst for Wells Fargo. After earning her MBA in Economics and Marketing Management at the University of Texas - Arlington, and being promoted to Data Analyst at Wells Fargo, she began to pursue her love for teaching. She became an Economics professor for Tarrant County College, teaching all who wanted to learn. Alencia taught everyone from prisoners looking for a new life to the next generation of business professionals until she retired in 2022. Alencia married Michel Whittenberg on November 11, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. They lived happily in love in their home in Colleyville, TX, for the next 13 years.

 Alencia was preceded in death by her parents, Allie Mae Williams and Bennie Bonner Sr., her younger brothers, Bennie Bonner Jr. and Dereck Bonner, and grandson Wesley Benford

She is survived by her husband, Michel Whittenberg, her brothers (Cedric, Sebastian, Leander, and Terrance), her children and bonus children (James Aghayere, Israfil Aghayere, Gabriel Aghayere, Alfred Aghayere, Syvicie "Dicey" Aghayere, Maurice Stovall, Montie Whittenberg, Geoff Whittenberg, and Jennifer Benford), her grandchildren (Matthew Whittenberg, Kenna Whittenberg, Madison Whitson, Hayleigh Whittenberg, Mason Whittenberg, Anna Whittenberg, Elliana Benford, Addalyn Benford, Donya Refaghatjoo, Olivia Aghayere, James T Aghayere, and Preston Aghayere), and great-grandson Boston Whittenberg.