Bonita Louise Martin

Bonnie Martin lived a life defined by kindness, acceptance, compassion and devotion to the people around her. Born February 16, 1947, and raised in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, she carried the values of a close-knit, hardworking family with her throughout her life.

At 19, she fell in love with Ben. Just 2 weeks later, they ran down to the courthouse on a Saturday, but just missed the office being open. 2 days later, they returned and were married on Valentines Day. It was the beginning of a partnership that would last more than six decades.

Within that marriage, Bonnie built a remarkable career on her own terms. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at South Carolina State University and spent the next 35 years as a public-school speech pathologist, giving countless children the gift of their own voice. She extended that same care to nursing home residents in her spare time, and co-authored three widely used resources — Let’s Articulate, Let’s Communicate, and More Let’s Articulate — at a time when the field had only a precious few. Her work brought her to national conventions and earned her a special recognition award from the South Carolina Speech Association. Bonnie and her co-author presented at several national conventions and she was honored with a special recognition award from the SC speech association and was listed in the 1977-79 edition of Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She was on numerous committees during her career and presented at several national conventions of the American Speech and Language Association.

Outside the classroom, Bonnie was an avid golfer and a member of the Wescott Ladies’ golf league. She was a member of the Summerville Elks Lodge, Post 166 American Legion Auxiliary, and unit 269 of the ladies Auxiliary of the FRA. She was known around the neighborhood as a passionate gardener who could always be found happily tending her yard. But her greatest joy was her family — her daughters, whom she cheered on and shaped by example, and Ben, with whom she celebrated 60 years of marriage.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years Ben, two daughters: Erin of Bradenton, FL, and Greer of Portland, OR; one brother Robert of Catasauqua, PA; and two sisters: Diane of Shingle Springs, CA and Carol of Slatington, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Ernest aka Scern.

Bonnie leaves behind a quiet and extraordinary legacy — in the children who found their voices, in the books that still sit on therapists’ shelves, in the garden she so lovingly tended, and in the family and friends who will carry her love forward.

A memorial service will be held on June 20, 2026 at 2 o'clock at Parks Funeral Home, 130 West 1st North Street, Summerville, SC 29483 to celebrate and honor Bonnie's life.

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