Bonnie Jean English

Bonnie “Mema” English of Carbondale, Illinois died on November 2, 2025 after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

Bonnie Jean Bowles was born on August 31, 1948 in Livingston, Illinois to Dorothy and Frank Bowles.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Frank Bowles, and late husbands, Ron Naylor and Claude English. She is survived by her brother, Jim (Carol) Bowles of Troy, Illinois, daughter, Roni (Troy) Robbins of Carbondale, Illinois, grandsons Derek (Jill) Naylor of Harrodsburg, Kentucky and Ryan Robbins of Carbondale, Illinois, and niece Christine (Scott) Stinnett of O'Fallon, Illinois.

Bonnie grew up in Marine, Illinois where she diligently attended church services and vacation bible school, with perfect attendance. This expectation, created early, carried on through her entire life, setting high expectations for her efforts, her work and the work of those around her. Though she was raised in Marine, early on, she moved to Sacramento, CA and Grand Fork, ND as a part of her father, Frank’s, government work, and ultimately graduated from Triad High School in Troy, Illinois.

She married Ron Naylor and had a daughter, Roni Robbins, née Naylor, but went on to raise Roni as a single, hard-working mother. Bonnie was very proud of her work as a government special project assistant and legal secretary where she worked on monumental programs, such as the Apache helicopter development program.

Bonnie became a grandma (Mema) and second mother to grandson Derek Troy Naylor. They shared a special relationship with Bonnie having a significantly positive and lasting impact on Derek, from helping to raise him early on to her endless love and encouragement later in life.

Bonnie met Claude English in 1986 and married him in 1990. They moved from Granite City to Edwardsville, Illinois then to Nashville, Tennessee where they lived for over twelve years until his passing.

In 2005, Bonnie made her final move to Carbondale, Illinois to be close to family and to help raise her second grandson, Ryan Troy Robbins, born that very same week. Fiercely independent and loving to those around her, Bonnie was proudly self-employed until her retirement in 2016. In retirement, she devoted her time to being with her family and to her hobbies: gardening, cooking and quilting.

Bonnie’s garden was a point of pride, full of lush plants and flowers, an oasis amongst the community in which she lived. There was aways something blooming, that was bigger than ever and more beautiful than words can describe.

Bonnie loved animals. Her beloved dog, Fancy, her beautiful cat, Daisy, and her last and sweetest little dog, Maxie, were all a huge part of her life, keeping her company and bringing her years of immeasurable joy.

Bonnie touched many, many lives through her creation of t-shirt memory quilts. After making her first quilt, she created dozens, if not hundreds, of quilts to commemorate the lives of strangers and their loved ones. From quilts for family and friends to quilts donated to SIU softball fundraisers, this is where her hands touched the hearts of countless lives. Each stitch was meticulous, each shirt placed with care, this was her true calling later in life: combining her quilt-making skills and her design creativity. She partnered with the mother of her son-in-law, Beverly Robbins, to finish the quilts, thus creating a collaboration that grew into a very close friendship.

Of the countless hearts she touched outside the family, she was always there with her family. Weekend dinners, celebrations, birthdays, Bonnie was the life of the party, ready to insert a goofy smile, a story or warm embrace. She cherished having her family nearby.

Bonnie can be best described as content: she had everything she needed and wanted for very little, other than a James Patterson novel, generous: her way of showing love to those around her, and joyful: igniting a spark that will live on in the hearts of all the lives she touched.

Her graveside service will be at 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 6 at Evergreen Cemetery in Makanda, IL. Immediately following, the family will host a Celebration of Life to take place at 2:00 PM on Thursday, November 6 at Grand Avenue Christian Church, 1305 E. Grand Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901.

Flowers can be sent to Meredith Funeral Home at 300 S. University Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901 or via online at: https://www.meredithfh.com/send-flowers

Additionally, donations can be made, in her honor, to the following organizations: Hospice of Southern Illinois(https://hospice.org/support-us/memorial-gifts/), Evergreen Cemetery (https://makandaevergreencemetery.org), Grand Avenue Christian Church (https://www.gacc.net/give), and Wright Way Animal Shelter (https://wright-wayrescue.org/donate-wwr).

Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of Bonnie, visit www.meredithfh.com.