Obituary of Bonita J. Church

Bonita (“Bonnie”) Jean Church (nee Coddington) of Florham Park and formerly a longtime resident of Scotch Plains, passed away peacefully on January 16, 2026, with her daughter, Amy, by her side. She was 84.

Born in Akron, Ohio on November 1, 1941, to the late E. Robert and Florence Mildred Coddington, Bonnie moved frequently between Ohio and New Jersey as a child. The family eventually settled in Akron, Ohio where she graduated from Buchtel High School. After graduating, she moved to New Jersey and completed secretarial school. She met her former husband, the late George Church, and settled in Scotch Plains. Bonnie was the secretary / bookkeeper for George Church, Inc. in Fanwood for over 40 years, until her retirement.

Bonnie enjoyed needle crafts including knitting, sewing, and embroidery. She especially loved to knit cotton dishcloths and frequently gifted them to others. She was an avid reader and loved multiple pets over the years. But her most favorite thing was being Grandma Bonnie. She especially loved spending time with her grandsons, Henry and William, playing cards and board games and watching them perform in their many concerts and theatre productions. She enjoyed being the “behind the scenes” grandma, sewing Halloween and theatre costumes, assisting with music and theatre booster fundraisers, and helping with whatever crazy ideas Amy came up with to support Henry and William’s endeavors. Bonnie loved helping and giving of herself, and her sweet spirit of generosity, kindness, and loving thy neighbor touched everyone she met.

Bonnie is survived by her daughter, Amy Marinovic (Robert) of Madison, her two beloved grandsons, Henry and William, and her two sisters Becky Cairns (John) and Bobbe Dick (Bud) and their families. In addition, she is survived by three stepchildren, Robert Church (Kathy), Brian Church, and Nancy Blizard (Charlie), and many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her stepson, Stephen Church.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a memorial visitation for Bonnie to be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:30 p.m. during the visitation. Interment will be private at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.

In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions may be made in Bonnie’s memory to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center from whom she adopted her sweet cat, Murphy, or to any animal rescue of your choice.

Finally, the family wishes to thank the wonderful and kind nurses, technicians, and caregivers at Brighton Gardens of Florham Park and Fresenius Kidney Care in Morristown for their compassionate care of Bonnie over the years.