Port Hawksebury, NS
April 10th, 1945 - September 8, 2024
It is with heaviest hearts that the family of Bonnie Lynn Odelle Basker bid farewell.
Born April 10th, 1945 in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia. Bonnie passed quietly on Sunday September 8, 2024, aged 79, at the Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home.
With a lifelong drive to help others, Bonnie received her nursing certificate and was a Certified Nursing Assistant in her early twenties. She then began to work towards her Masters in Sociology with a minor in Psychology, but her son's illness and ongoing care required her to leave the University of Waterloo in 1978 with only her Bachelors degree complete. Bonnie was a driven social advocate for the poor, mentally ill and disabled, as she had experienced each within her own life, with her family, and in her community. She was for decades a supporter and member of the NDP.
As a young girl, Bonnie loved to dance and sing, and was renowned for her voice. She remained an admired vocalist throughout her life, and passed her love of music to her daughter, who is forever thankful for the music and memories of family blending voices and hearts.
Bonnie was predeceased by parents Angus and Kathleen (MacDonald) Basker of Point Tupper.
Deeply beloved, Bonnie is survived by her daughter Teralee (Bird) and Bernard Joseph (Joey) Sampson (L'Ardoise, NS), her son Leslie Bird (Ottawa, ON) dearest sister Verna (Malcolm) Weeks (Tatamagouche, NS), step-siblings Dean, Darryl, & Jocelyn Malcolm, and Fairlie Burnham.
Heartfelt gratitude to the staff of the Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home, who were so supportive of Bonnie over the last several years as dementia began to take more of a toll. Cremation has taken place, there will be no visitation.
Donations may be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian Kidney Foundation, or the Dementia Society of Canada.
"Sparkling eyes, a dancing smile, she makes you feel like life's worthwhile",
Grade 11 yearbook, Port Hawkesbury High School.
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