information provided by the family
Bonnie B. Wilford, of Easton, Maryland, formerly of Lansing, Illinois, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Thursday, April 4, 2019.
Beloved wife of David Wilford. Loving mother of Edward (Elenor) Wilford, formerly of Lansing, IL, now in Cambridge, UK; and Heather (Jeff) Talbert, formerly of Lansing, IL, now in McLean, VA. Dear grandmother of Margaret (Maggie) Talbert and Beatrice (Bea) Wilford.
Also surviving are her brothers: Joe Baird of Sycamore, IL; Jim (Jolene) Baird of Bradley, IL; and numerous nieces & nephews. Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents: George and Ruth Baird, formerly of Lansing, IL; her inlaws: Percy and Ruth Wilford; and her step-mother-in-law Helen Wilford, formerly of the East Side of Chicago and Lansing, IL; and sister-in-law: Georgiann Baird, Sycamore IL.
In keeping with Bonnie’s wishes, a private family celebration of life will take place this summer.
Bonnie loved Lansing and loved raising her children there. She was involved in District 158 PTA, serving as room mother, Science Fair Coordinator, and band mom. She loved her friends dearly and made everyone feel like they were family. The parties she threw were legendary—especially the famous Christmas Eve celebration. Once you were invited to that, you were part of the family! She loved supporting Lansing businesses, and one could always find her at Ben Franklin, Fashionette, Gus Bock, or Key Market—mostly for their famous potato salad! She loved going out with friends to Colucci’s, Café Borgia, and other local restaurants.
Equally important to her was her career in the healthcare field. Bonnie worked for many years at the American Hospital Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the American Medical Association. It was at the AMA where her career really took off and her expertise in the Addiction Medicine field grew.
It was her work at the AMA that drew interest from Washington, DC, and in 1991, she accepted an appointment in the Executive Office of the President at the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H. W. Bush. From there she went on to work at the School of Public Health at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She was recruited from the university to join a leading healthcare consulting firm where she worked until deciding to build her own organization for medical education, and she was Executive Director of that organization at the time of her passing.
In lieu of flowers, and because education was so important to Bonnie, an educational memorial fund for her granddaughters has been established, and donations can be made to: BBWilford Educational Memorial Fund c/o Davenport & Company, 1104 Commerce Street, Lynchburg, VA 24504.
Bonnie was loved by many and is missed tremendously by family, close friends and colleagues.
