Bonnie Shank Shelton
July 10, 1941 - March 23, 2022
On a rainy afternoon in her beloved Williamsburg, VA, Bonnie, age 80, peacefully drifted out of this world. She was embraced by her husband as he led her to her family that she had missed for so long. Bonnie had so much to share with them and the homecoming went long into the night. She held onto her parents, Hershel Shank and Daisy Barret Shank as she told them of all of the happy memories that the family had enjoyed since they had been apart. They reminisced about years gone by in her hometown of Louisa, VA and how time stands still in our memories. Remembering summer afternoons playing baseball and then softball for the high school, roller skating on the sidewalk near the courthouse and being a life guard at the local pool, and meeting a boy named Gene.
She recalled going away to Madison College for a year and how homesick she had been. Being a proud Virginian, Bonnie discovered that her love of the state extended further than the county limits of Louisa. With her devoted husband, Marvin Eugene Shelton, they moved to James City County, VA. Bonnie began working for Colonial Williamsburg in their film and print shop. On her lunch breaks, she would walk down the streets of C.W. and fell in love with the history of the beautiful town. In 1971, Bonnie and Gene welcomed their only child, daughter Meredith Kay and the new trio were inseparable. Bonnie began working for The National Center for State Courts when Meredith was in elementary school as their Distribution Technician. She made amazing friends everywhere she worked and those relationships lasted well after her retirement near the turn of the century. Bonnie had several hobbies including but not limited to: collecting ocean liner memorabilia, volunteering in multiple genealogical societies and never turning down the opportunity to go to an estate sale for unique finds. She and Gene renovated a small cottage in Grandview and enjoyed over a decade of weekend retreats on The Bay while catching a Tides game any chance they could. They enjoyed entertaining friends and family in their home with homemade dinners, stellar spirits, and great conversations. Her favorite place was outside where you could find her taking long walks in her neighborhood, picking shells up on any local beach, or even taking care of the bird feeders in the back yard. Bonnie had an inner drive to stay healthy and the determination to stay active. Those daily walks and bi weekly Pilates classes not only helped her sustain her fitness goals but allowed more friendships to blossom all along the way.
Bonnie finally got the son she always wanted when her daughter married Jeffrey Louke. She would tell anyone and especially him that he was her favorite son-in-law and tease Meredith endlessly that she just might love him a smidge more. Her greatest treasures by far were her grandchildren, Wyatt Jefferson and Morgan Elizabeth. From their birth she was enamored with them and knew that whatever happened in life their personalities and passion for life and learning would take them far in this world. Though her last years of life were changed due to Alzheimer’s disease, her shining spirit and zest for living never faltered. She will forever be known for her abundance of joy, endless sounds of laughter, passion for learning and sharing that knowledge of life with her family and friends.
Her family would like to thank the staff of Brookdale Chambrel Memory Units, Sentara Medical Hospital and their nurses on 4 North and her nurses and companion at Hospice House of Williamsburg. Their love and compassion never faltered over the last two years of care.
Please join the family at a memorial viewing on April 1st from 5-7pm at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd in Williamsburg. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in Bonnie’s memory to the Hospice House of Williamsburg, 4445 Powhatan Parkway, Williamsburg, VA 23188 or www.williamsburghospice.org.