Bonnie Jouette Petty, 84

Bonnie Jouette Petty, 84, passed away at her home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Oct. 5, 2017, in the care of her sons and daughter after a fearless battle with cancer. Always upbeat and realistic at the same time, she recently said “I am not in denial, I am defiance.” She is dearly missed already.

She was born Bonnie J. McCulley, on Aug. 8, 1933, in Klamath Falls, Ore., to George and Opal McCulley. She had five siblings, Bob McCulley, Wanda Roth, Helen Boozer, Marge Burke and Mary Jane Whittaker. She is preceded in death by her parents, brother Bob and sister Helen.

Bonnie grew up in the midst of the Great Depression, and like many, her family moved often. She recounted going to 22 schools by the time she graduated high school in Kittitas, Wash., in 1951. There she met Dan M. Legg and married him in 1951. They lived in “old” Vantage, Ellensburg, a sheep camp near Browning, Mont., Pasco, Kennewick and later Yakima, Wash.

After raising their children, Bonnie and Dan divorced in 1971, and Bonnie began to follow her own star. She worked for the Yakima School District as secretary to the Sports Director, where her Inner Sports Fan bloomed. The Seahawks and Mariners were “her” teams until the end, whether they won or lost!

She met Paul Petty of Wapato, Wash., and they married in 1976. Bonnie loved the thought of world travel and became a travel agent where she was able to fulfill lifelong dreams of seeing far away countries only read about in her childhood. She and Paul lived in Seattle, Spokane and Manson, Wash., and finally settled in Coeur d’Alene, where he preceded her in death in 2010.

After retirement, she had many interests: Hospice volunteering, The Lewis and Clark Expedition, quilting, her backyard oasis and birdwatching, the Coeur d’Alene Rambling Rovers, and oh yes, Monster Trucks!

She was a thoughtful and gentle friend to all who knew her no matter what the association. She was funny and kind, and always thought of the other person first. She was raised Christian Scientist, but as an adult she listed Protestant as her faith, and was a devout follower of the Golden Rule. In her last couple of years, she would say, “All prayers count, I won’t turn any down.”

She is survived by her sisters, Wanda Roth of Yakima, Marjie Burke of Tucson, Ariz., and Mary Jane Walker of Prosser, Wash.; sons Dan Legg and Jeff Legg of Coeur d’Alene; daughter Kim Legg Jacobs of Tonasket, Wash.; numerous nieces, nephews, grand and great-grandchildren.

Bonnie Petty was so much more than can be put into words here and we welcome friends and family to a remembrance to be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, at Heritage Funeral Home, 508 N. Government Way, Spokane.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Wounded Warrior Project or Kootenai Humane Society in Bonnie’s name.