Bonnie Jean Dick Cobb, 87, died peacefully on Jan. 21, 2024 at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.
She was born on Jan. 7, 1937 in Pendleton to Marvin and Ardice Gilliland Dick.
Bonnie’s earliest days were spent in the Blue Mountain village of Albee. Her father’s employment with the Union Pacific Railroad brought the family to Pendleton. She attended Washington Elementary and Helen McCune Junior High schools. When the Union Pacific built a new railroad yard at Hinkle (Hermiston), the family moved from Pendleton to Hermiston. After her father became a national officer in the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, the family traveled by train to union conventions in Seattle, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City and Long Beach, Calif. and she genuinely loved traveling. Bonnie attended Hermiston High School and played the saxophone in the marching band and for the dance band which played at the high school dances. Following graduation in 1955, she worked in Pendleton for Pacific Northwest Bell (Ma Bell) as a telephone operator and then the Oregon State Hospital as a secretary.
Bonnie married Virgile Cobb, Washington. Virgile’s work in construction took them to Kahului, Maui, Hawaii in 1970. She worked for Baldwin High School and ran the A+ after-school program at Lihikai Elementary. Bonnie was very active in the Parent Teacher Student Association, elected president of the Maui County chapter and ultimately became Hawaii state PTSA president. As state president she traveled extensively, including to a national convention in Washington, D.C. Bonnie served as an election official in Kahului and in 1990 was recognized as an honoree by the Maui County Committee on the Status of Women. She also loved to participate in 5K runs for charities while in Hawaii.
Bonnie traveled widely across the country to see her son in Florida, to nieces’ weddings in Virginia and California, and to visit her brother in Michigan. She was thrilled to attend the marriage of her grandson in Salem and enjoyed subsequent visits with grandkids.
She retired from Lihikai Elementary in 2008 and moved back to the mainland to be closer to family. She continued her service at the Harkenrider Senior Center when able. She made new friends there and connected with old classmates in Club 55. She enjoyed reading and listening to music, especially Elvis, Willie Nelson and the Beatles. She was a loyal and enthusiastic Portland Trail Blazer basketball and Seattle Seahawk football fan.
She is survived by her son, Jason (Cristi) Cobb of Fort Myers, Fla.; son, Douglas (Cindy) Dick of Stanfield; grandsons, Nathan (Rosa) Dick and Westley Dick of Salem; great-grandchildren, Nathan, Titus, Benjamin and Dyannah Dick of Salem; brother, Dr. Wesley Arden (Leslie) Dick of Albion, Mich.; as well as nieces, a nephew and cousins. All will miss her affection for family and concern for the world.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband, Virgile Cobb; parents, Marvin and Ardice Dick; and grandparents, Arden and Lillie Stebblefield Gilliland and Clarence and Madge Reeves Dick.
In accordance with her wishes, a cremation has taken place. A family commemoration will take place in the future.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Harkenrider Senior Center or the charity or nonprofit of your choice.
