Bonnie (Helene) Tremayne Whitney, a fierce advocate for public education, social justice, and creativity, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2025, in the care of her children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Born on September 12, 1942, in Rochester, New York, Bonnie was the only child of Eleanor (Fisher), a seamstress, and Gordon Tremayne, a grocer. She was raised in Rochester’s Third Ward and later moved to Fairport, New York. She became a skilled baton twirler and a budding artist at Fairport High School, where she met Stephen Whitney, her spouse of fourteen years, as well as dear friends Janet (Whitney) and Dorn Ulrich, Doug and Jean (Hutchings) Whitney, and many others.

Teaching children and supporting families was central to Bonnie’s life. She pursued undergraduate degrees at Wittenberg University and SUNY Geneseo, and taught grade school in Troy, New York, before a formative year at the Stepping Stone School in London, England.

In the late 1960s, she established a nursery school in East Rochester and later worked with the New York State grant-funded Education Resource Network to reduce segregation in Rochester's public schools. She later pursued a Master of Social Work from Syracuse University and devoted her career to serving families at Strong Hospital, Highland Hospital, and the Brighton and Penfield School Districts.

In her middle years, Bonnie took up fiddle playing and co-founded the Fiddlers of the Genesee, a group that continues to gather to play folk, Irish, and old-time music. She spent her retirement with her son and his two children in Buffalo, New York, enjoying sessions with the Black Rock Fiddle Jam, painting scenes from her life, tracking politics with fervor, and delighting in Buffalo’s doughnut scene.

Her four children survive Bonnie—Alan of Buffalo, NY, Erin (Scott) of Chico, CA, Carin of Philadelphia, PA, and Sean (Jacqueline) Whitney of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—and six grandchildren: Jaden, Ember, Hazel, Maya, Colleen, and Grayson. She also leaves her beloved companion, Karl Corder, with whom she shared a rich life of art-making, fiddle-playing, gardening, bird-feeding, and dog-walking.

A celebration of life service and reception will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Cobblestone House in Mendon Ponds Park, located on Douglas Road in Pittsford, New York 14534. Following the service, ashes will be interred at Mt. Hope Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.

• The Hillside Foundation (https://hillside.com/donate/)
• Foodlink (https://foodlinkny.org/donate/)
• Your local public radio station (https://www.npr.org/donations…)

Carin Whitney, carin.whitney@gmail.com