Our beloved mother, Brenda Mary Burgess was called home to God on April 11, 2020. Bonnie was born in Brattleboro, Vermont in October 1940, and spent her childhood years surrounded by a loving family and a widespread group of friends. Her father, Ralph Burgess was a wood shop teacher at Brattleboro Union High School, where Bonnie was later an outstanding student. Her mother Norine, worked at the downtown Recreational Center. Bonnie’s older brother John, also attended Brattleboro Union High School. After graduating from the University of Vermont, John settled in Poughkeepsie, New York with his then wife Sandy, and worked for IBM. Later in life, John retired to Cary, North Carolina, with his second wife Kathy. Unfortunately, Bonnie was predeceased by John in late-2018. His two children, Jay Burgess (married to Thea Burgess) of Rhinebeck, New York, and Sharon Fox (married to Eben Fox) of Westfield New Jersey, and their two children Sarah and Daniel, all had a close and loving relationship with Bonnie.
After graduating from Brattleboro Union High School in 1956, Bonnie attended college at the University of Vermont located in Burlington and graduated with honors in 1962 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education. Bonnie was an active member of the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority at UVM and she remained in close contact with many of her Sorority Sisters.
In June of 1962, shortly after graduation, Bonnie married fellow classmate, Alan MacLean. Immediately thereafter the young couple moved to Amarillo, Texas, where Alan began his career with the United States Air Force. Their son Michael was soon born in July of 1963. The growing family then moved to Charleston, West Virginia, where their daughter Karen was born in August of 1964. The family relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, and then again to Orlando, Florida, before settling in Rochester, New York, where Alan changed careers and began working for the Eastman Kodak Company. In the following years, Bonnie devoted her time and attention to her children, creating a loving home and dedicating herself to motherhood. In 1970 the family moved to Ringwood, New Jersey, where Alan furthered his career at Kodak. Their daughter Marilyn was born there in 1971. Within a few years, the whole family picked up once again moving back to Rochester where Bonnie lived the remainder of her adult life in the Towns of Pittsford and Brighton.
During her years in Rochester, Bonnie focused on family, friends, and her career as a teacher. She spent 22 years as a middle school Special Education Teacher in the Henrietta and Webster School Districts. She cared immensely for all of her students, helping them overcome their unique and special educational challenges. Brenda treasured and fostered many deep and meaningful friendships throughout her teaching career, which she maintained into her retirement. Bonnie consistently and continuously put her family and friends first. She selflessly cared for her ailing mother Norine, who lived with her in Rochester during her final years. Amidst all of this, she earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Nazareth College of Rochester in 1980.
As a single mother, Bonnie did an amazing job of raising her three children. Michael and Karen work and live in the Rochester area, and they frequently visited Bonnie, spending quality time with her throughout her retirement years. Bonnie (aka “Nana”) loved babysitting and playing with grandchildren Elizabeth (now 16) and Jackson (now 11), children of Karen MacLean and Christopher George. In 2015, Bonnie moved to the “Little House”, located around the corner from Karen and her family, which enabled her to continue to live independently. Bonnie’s youngest daughter Marilyn was very close to her mother and remained so even throughout her years away from their hometown. Although Marilyn spent much of her young-adult life traveling and living out of state, she frequently returned to Rochester, sharing an inseparable bond with her mother. She moved to California, eventually settling in San Francisco, where she works for the airline industry. Marilyn and her husband, Paul Reginato have many fond memories of celebrating holidays at Bonnie’s house, and sharing lots of good hearty laughs with her.
Bonnie had many hobbies, and enjoyed playing cards and reading. She excelled at sewing, often making dresses and clothing for herself and others. She learned how to sew from her mother at an early age, and in turn, taught her daughter Karen. Bonnie relished getting together with friends and family, whether it was entertaining at her home or picnicking in the park. She was an amazing cook and loved baking. She liked nothing more than to trade recipes with her friends, trying new and adventurous dishes to share with all. Our mom also had a great love and appreciation of antiques and family heirlooms. This is evidenced by the quirky collection stored in her basement. In the 1990’s, Michael surprised mom with a black Labrador puppy named Colby, who held a special place in mom’s heart for many years.
Later in life, Bonnie had another chance to experience true love when she met Dr. William (Bill) Dingerson, a local Orthodontist and fellow Vermonter, on a blind date, arranged by her daughter Marilyn. Their friendship quickly blossomed and grew into a wonderful and loving partnership that they both cherished until Bill’s passing in March of 2019. Over those 17 years, Bonnie and Bill shared a very close, and easy-going relationship that brought both of their respective friends and families together. They both enjoyed socializing, traveling, dining, and visiting with family and friends. Many joy-filled days were spent at Bill’s vacation home on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont hosting gatherings and watching sunsets.
Anna Maria Island, in Florida, was another place that was dear to their hearts. For many years, Bonnie and Bill wintered there, staying at the condos at Runaway Bay. They spent hours enjoying the sun and warmth, happy to be escaping the winters in Rochester. They played cards, read, completed crossword and Sudoku puzzles, and watched the grandkids splash in the pool. The two especially enjoyed their cross-country trips, visiting the National parks. Occasionally, their road trips brought them to the San Francisco/Bay Area to visit with Marilyn and Paul, as well as Bill’s daughter Ann and her husband Kevin who live in Pacifica, California.
Brenda was proud of her Irish heritage and occasionally enjoyed an Irish coffee or Bailey’s. Our family ancestry can be traced back to 1869 in the northern town of Sligo, which is renowned for its literary heritage and beautiful rugged countryside.
Our mother was also very deeply rooted in her Catholic faith and was a devout parishioner at the Church of Transfiguration in Pittsford, New York, as well as St. Louis Church in the Village of Pittsford. Most of all, Bonnie valued family, faith, and friends, and her life was guided by her commitment to these core values.
Bonnie’s network of friends was vast and diverse, and she valued all her friendships made throughout her life. She regularly attended high school reunions in Brattleboro, reconnecting with childhood friends and always looked forward to her monthly lunch outings with her retired teacher friends from Webster. Bonnie made friends everywhere she went. She threw infamous house parties in New Jersey and Rochester that left indelible memories for all who attended. She consistently focused on keeping her friendships close, even those that were long-distance, and developed a loving circle of friends that encompassed her life at church, at bridge group, at school, in her neighborhoods, and beyond. Bonnie was a great listener, and always made everyone feel welcomed and accepted.
We are forever grateful for the expert care our mother received from the amazing home health care ladies who enabled Bonnie to stay in her home in Brighton for a long as she did. Thank you, Jill, Jackie, Brianna, Kristen, Luz, Nancy, Joella, Terry, and Sypriss. You were all very supportive with Bonnie’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs, encouraging her on multiple levels and we know that your love for Bonnie was genuine.
Special thanks to our loving sister Karen, who worked tirelessly to keep mom in her home as long as possible, coordinating Bonnie’s care, social calendar and managing the household over the past several years.
My God give you…
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
Dedicated to her Catholic Faith, we take comfort in knowing that Brenda has gone home to the Lord. She was fun-loving, devoted, witty, intelligent, charismatic, nurturing, cheerful, welcoming, encouraging, generous, loyal, optimistic, and a beautiful woman inside and out. She was a true blessing to all who knew her and loved her. She will forever be missed…
A celebration of Bonnie’s life will be held in Rochester this summer/fall, with details to follow at a later date.