Bonnie Churchel

In Loving Memory of Bonnie Churchel

July 28, 1941 - August 25,2026

Bonnie Churchel, a deeply loved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away on the morning of August 25, 2026 peacefully with family by her side.

Bonnie grew up in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the late Doris and Julius Fantaski. She shared her life with her beloved husband of 62 years, John Churchel, who preceded her in death. Together, they built a family and a lifetime of memories that will continue through the generations that follow them.

More than anything, Bonnie loved being a mother. She raised four children and took tremendous pride in the family that grew from them: John (Denise) Churchel, Tom (Margie) Churchel, Laurie (Albert) Lesoon and Julie Parker.

Her family continued to grow with her grandchildren, Kevin Churchel, Nikki (Anthony) Falso, Stephanie Churchel, Tyler Churchel, Steven (Rachel) Churchel, Marissa (Armando) Henriquez, Kayla Churchel, Kristi Lesoon, Sam Parker, and Claire Parker; and her great-grandchildren, Zoe, Brooklyn, Mia, Carlos, Brooks, Sammy Jr. and Aria. She is also survived by her sister, Carol Neff, as well as many nieces and nephews who were part of the large family she loved dearly.

Bonnie was, at her heart, a homemaker in the truest and most meaningful sense of the word. She didn’t simply take care of a home, she created the places where her family gathered, celebrated, laughed, ate, and grew up. She managed not one but two homes: the family home in Rosedale, where her children were raised, and the hunting camp in Somerset affectionately known to everyone as “The Farm.” Both became the backdrop to countless family memories.

If there was a holiday, a birthday, or another reason to bring everyone together, Bonnie made it special. There was always something baking, often her poppy seed cake or lazy daisy cake. Christmas Eve meant gathering at “Grandma and Paps”, where her magnificent cookie table was a tradition all its own. She never missed a birthday, and anyone lucky enough to receive a card from her knew that the most important words would be carefully underlined just to make sure you knew exactly how much she meant them.

Bonnie was also known for her remarkable garden. Her enormous vegetable garden was a labor of love, and its abundance rarely stayed within its borders. Family, friends, and neighbors all benefited from what Bonnie grew and generously shared. She loved being outside, especially at the Farm, and some of her family’s happiest memories are of simply being there with her.

Life with Bonnie had its own unmistakable character. There were Post-it notes everywhere, reminding her, and often everyone else, of what needed to be remembered. There were cigarettes, baking, gardening, preparations for hunting season, and a house that was rarely without something that needed doing. Her evenings in the spring and summer were spent drinking ice tea and smoking at her picnic table overlooking her garden with family.

Bonnie’s life was built less around grand gestures than around thousands of small acts of love, repeated faithfully over a lifetime. She cooked. She baked. She planted. She tended. She remembered. She gathered people together. She made sure birthdays mattered and holidays felt like holidays. She created traditions so familiar that they became part of what “home” meant to her family.

Her husband John went before her, but the family they created together carries their story forward. Bonnie leaves behind four children, ten grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and generations of memories rooted in the homes, traditions, and love.

She will be forever missed.

Friends and family will be received on Wednesday August 26, 2026 from 6-8 p.m. and on Thursday August 27th from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the BURKET-TRUBY FUNERAL HOME CREMATION AND ALTERNATIVE SERVICES, INC., at 421 Allegheny Ave., Oakmont PA 15139. A funeral service will be held on Friday August 28th, 10:30 a.m. in the funeral home with Rev. Bill Ellis officiating followed by burial at Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Rosedale Food Pantry, 5501 3rd St., Verona, PA 15147.