Obituary of Bonny L. Brownrigg

ILION – Mrs. Bonny L. (March) Brownrigg, age 70, a lifelong Mohawk Valley resident, passed away in her sleep Monday morning, December 17, 2018. Her passing occurred peacefully in the privacy and comfort of her home.

Born on March 16, 1948, Bonny was the daughter of the late Howard and Rose (Cherry) March. She was born and raised in Herkimer and was a 1966 graduate of Herkimer High School. Bonny went on to further her education at SUNY Cobleskill, earning her degree in Secretarial Science. She spent the latter part of her career as an insurance broker with JKB Benefits in Ilion after retiring from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in Utica.

On July 27, 1968, Bonny was wed to Thomas L. Brownrigg of Mohawk at St. Francis de Sales Church in Herkimer. Together they shared a blessed and devoted union, celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary this past summer.

Bonny knew how to enjoy life’s simple gifts. She was an avid traveler, having taken several cruises over the years and recently completed a once in a lifetime trip to Italy.  When the weather was nice, she could often be found sitting in the driveway with her husband enjoying the company of friends and neighbors. Above all else, however, Bonny valued family. She was extremely proud of her three boys and all their accomplishments. As a grandmother she enjoyed the special moments with her grandchildren as often as opportunity presented itself, which never seemed to be enough. She showed them how much she loved them up until the very end.   

Bonny was proud of where she came from and was a very community-oriented woman. She’s been heavily involved in the Mohawk Valley Rotary for many years, recently serving as an officer and received the Rotarian of Excellence award for 2017. For her efforts, she was honored and excited to be the current President Elect and was looking forward to taking the helm this coming summer. Her leadership and devotion to the organization will be deeply missed.

Survivors include her husband, Thomas; her three sons and daughters-in-law, Jeffrey and Pamela Brownrigg of McKinney, TX, Scott and Bridget Brownrigg of Delran, NJ, and Jason and Beatrice Brownrigg of Stony Brook, NY; and her grandchildren, Morgan, Callie, Brandon, Kyle, Matthew, and Brady. She also leaves her sister and brother-in-law, Lori and Richard Usyk of Ilion; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Howard and Carol March of Ilion and Dennis and Cynthia March of Townsend, MA; her in-laws, Charles Brownrigg and Deborah Brownrigg; along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial gathering on Friday, December 21, 2018 from 5:00PM – 7:00PM at the Enea & Ciaccia Family Funeral Home, 4309 Acme Road, Town of Frankfort, Ilion, NY (315) 894-8000. At the conclusion of calling hours, fond memories of Bonny’s life will be shared by her family for those who would like to join them.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions in Bonny’s name to the Mohawk Valley Rotary Club, PO Box 222, Herkimer, NY 13350 OR to the American Cancer Society, 110 Lomond Court, Utica, NY 13502. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Bonny’s family has entrusted her final arrangements to Harry and Kevin Enea and Martin L. Ciaccia, Funeral Directors. Online notes of sympathy may be left at www.eneafamily.com.