Bonnie Lois Alice Wills

Wills Bonnie Lois Alice Wills, 70, died October 11 in Minneapolis, MN, after a brief illness. Mrs. Wills was born in Worcester, MA. A 1951 graduate of Westborough High School, she later attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Lowell Institute of MIT. In 1955 she married Frank S.G. Wills, M.D., now of Provincetown, MA. Mrs. Wills had lived in Riverside, CA and Syracuse, NY. In 1977 she returned to Boston, moving to Minneapolis last year to be near her daughters and granddaughters. Over the years, she taught swimming; led Girl Scouts; acted and directed in community theatre; volunteered with the Unitarian-Universalist Service Committee; served as president of the Syracuse University Women's Club; and advocated for special education with the Massachusetts Office for Children. In 1990, Mrs. Wills obtained a degree in architectural drafting from Lowell Institute of MIT, and worked briefly in that field. For 14 years before retiring in 2001, she was the staff database administrator for Thomson Financial in Boston. Mrs. Wills was active in the Unitarian-Universalist Church, serving often as a delegate to the General Assembly. She taught religious education classes for children and adults, and served as Buildings supervisor for Arlington Street Church in Boston. She loved music, and studied the pipe organ. After retiring, Mrs. Wills organized programs of music and art enjoyed by both Russian-speaking and English-speaking seniors in her building. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Wills is survived by her six children, Karen Wills and Laurel Wills in Minneapolis; Stephen Wills in Worcester, MA; David Wills in Cambridge, MA; Edward Wills in Berkshire Meadows (a facility for person with severe developmental disabilities) Housatonic, MA; and Anthony Wills in Waltham, MA. She is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Alison Byrnes Caron; and by six grandchildren; and two nephews. A memorial service will be scheduled next summer at the Unitarian-Universalist conference center in Ferry Beach, Maine. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Berkshire Meadows, 249 North Plain Road, Housatonic, MA 01236, or a charity of your choice.

Published on October 20, 2002