Bonnie Humsey Cassis Arnett Helmer, 75 years old, passed away on August 5th, 2022.

The beloved daughter of Marjorie and George Humsey, Bonnie was born on March 1, 1947 in Holland, MI. Bonnie attended Kingswood School/Cranbrook ('65) and University of Michigan (‘83), where as a mother of four elementary age children, Bonnie graduated Summa Cum Laude as a double honors major in English and French. She went on to Yale University as a PhD candidate in French.

Bonnie loved all things having to do with linguistics and words, from the mastery of three languages (French, Spanish and Latin) to the study of literature, poetry and plays, to her favorite game of Scrabble. She especially revered the works of Shakespeare. Bonnie was not only an avid reader but also a writer of poetry, plays, and critical essays. She had a passion for knowledge and learning; studying other disciplines of the humanities and social sciences such as philosophy, religion, and psychology.

Bonnie excelled in anything she attempted from sewing, knitting, and cooking to her jobs as an interior designer/decorator, proofreader/copy editor, translator of foreign novels, and computer instructor. She was a talented pianist and in her youth, flutist. Bonnie also loved anything having to do with water from the simple swimming of laps to windsurfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

Bonnie’s laugh lit up the room. Her affable smile, genial disposition, and gentle demeanor warmed those around her; all treasuring the times when she would refer to them as “Sweetie.”

Bonnie is survived by her children: Gwendolyn Cassis (Rick Brahmer), Laila Cassis, Mona Cassis (Steve Heuer), and Louis Cassis; her grandchildren: Nikolas and Hayat Brahmer, Zain and Elias Cassis, Maxwell and Victor Cassis; her extended family: Victor (Nancy) Cassis, Richard (Lorraine) Cassis, Elizabeth Snyder (Polly Thistlethwaite); her cousins: Carol (Gerald) Schuetz and their children Amanda (Jeff) Szymanski and Evan (Christina) Schuetz; Judy Eldred, Lisa Shamie, Greg (Wanda) Ganfield, and John Ganfield; Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents: George and Marjorie Humsey; her grandmothers: Roxie Ganfield and Frieda Humsey; her uncles: Carl (Elsie) and Stan (Diana) Ganfield; and her aunts; Maxine (Pat) King, and Lorraine (Walter) Pnakovich.

Bonnie’s burial was at sea, the water, the place where she found the most comfort, off the coast of Port Canaveral, FL on August 23, 2022, in a beautiful ceremony. As the song “Girl from Ipanema” played, we threw wreaths and flowers and wished “au revoir à notre chère mère.”

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/bonnie-cassis-arnett-helmer/obituary/

Copy