Bonnie Braden October 19, 1947 - June 10, 2014 Bonnie Eileen (Dunn) Braden, 66, died June 10, 2014, at Tampa General Hospital after a four month battle with cancer. “Bonnie was a person who lit up the room when she came in. Her laugh was infectious. Her joy was unbounded. She loved her kids and grandkids and every person she met. Most important, she loved God just as God loves all of us.” Bonnie loved family activities, her church, her exercise classes, and her tennis league. She loved on her children and grandchildren continuously. She found a reason to celebrate everything and be involved as much as she could. She played many roles: team mom, Girl Scout leader, PTA president, baseball fanatic, Stepping Stone volunteer, church volunteer, seamstress, school classroom volunteer, gourmet chef, traveler, ultimate party planner. Of all the things Bonnie did, she treasured being a mother and grandmother the most. Bonnie was born October 19, 1947, in Cooperstown, NY to Stephen Farrar and Claire Hortence (Murray) Dunn II. She married John W. Braden Jr. (Jay) on January 22, 1967, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from Purdue University in 1970. Bonnie and children accompanied Jay as he served in the United States Army for 29 years, moving 23 times in the process. An assignment to United States Central Command brought them to the Tampa area in 1988, and they lived in Valrico until Jay was reassigned to Virginia. Following Jay’s retirement from the Army in 1996, they moved to Tallahassee where Bonnie worked for five years at Florida State University in its Claude Pepper Center coordinating lifelong learning programs for the community. When Jay took employment with Stetson University, they returned to their home in Valrico. In addition to her husband Jay, she is survived by four amazing children, daughter Karen; daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Steve; daughter and son-in-law, Anne and Rusty; son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Natalie; nine grandchildren: Savanah, Seth, Braden, Skyler, Daylin, Sydney, Benjamin, Everett, Charlie; brother, Paul Dunn (wife Dorothy) of Buxton, North Carolina; and sister, Kim Tennant (husband Troy) of Ormond, Florida. Bonnie was preceded in death by brothers Steve and Murray, and sister, Jean. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida, on Friday, June 20 at 2 p.m. Viewing at that location will be from 1:00 to 1:45. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. Back to About Bonnie