Bonnie Dietrich

Bonnie Dietrich passed away peacefully on July 7 in New York City after a five-year bout with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born to Robert and Jeanne Dietrich on January 10, 1944 in Mobile, Ala.

She is survived by sisters Jacqueline (Elmer) Schweitzer, Roberta (Roberto) Abdo, Deborah (James) Gaunt, Colleen Wheeler, and brother Jay Dietrich. She was predeceased by her parents and brother, Terry Wheeler.

Bonnie grew up in the Lakeland area and graduated from Lakeland High School in 1961.

She attended UW-Stevens Point and worked at the (former) Lakeland Memorial Hospital. In 1963, she moved to New York City, as she had lived there as a young child and yearned to return.

She achieved an associate degree in New York.

Bonnie loved music and became very accomplished at the piano, teaching piano skills as a vocation, along with other jobs. She also loved running/training, and ran the New York Marathon for years, along with various other races.

A knee injury slowed her down to walking so she became an avid swimmer in later years.

Bonnie loved to travel as she was fascinated with other cultures, and visited France twice, along with several other countries in Europe and the Middle East.