Bonnie Jean (Brinkley) Dobosz

GRIFFITH, IN — Bonnie Jean Brinkley Dobosz, 87, of Griffith, went home to God peacefully on Thursday, June 12, 2025 with her family by her side.

Bonnie is survived by her loving and devoted daughter Anajean Lewis and son Michael (Kathy) Dobosz. She is also survived by her grandchildren Mark (Rachel) Lewis, Lindsay Lewis, Michael (Marris) Dobosz and Abbey Dobosz; great-grandchildren Raegan and Myles Lewis; nephew Michael (Cindy) Brinkley and niece Christina Brinkley; great-nieces Olivia and Sophia Brinkley; sisters-in-law Carol Delehanty and Amy Brinkley; cousins Patsy Crum, Linda Morgan and Paul Donovan. Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents William and Jean Brinkley, husband Stan Dobosz, son Andy Dobosz, son-in-law Mark Lewis Sr., brother Michael Brinkley Sr. and cousin Bill Donovan.

Bonnie was born in Sylva, North Carolina on April 18, 1938. She was raised in Rockledge and Cocoa, Florida, graduating from Cocoa High School in 1956. Growing up, she spent much of her early years in Daytona Beach with her parents and maternal grandparents. She enjoyed precious time with her Nana Judge Mae Donovan and Papoo Eugene Donovan, the Justice of the Peace. Bonnie especially liked being the flower girl for the many weddings her Papoo officiated at his home. As she grew older, she would spend most of her summers in Shell Creek, Tennessee, enjoying her long summer days nestled in The Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee with her paternal granddaddy James Walter Brinkley Sr., aunts, uncles and cousins.

Bonnie attended Florida State University. Shortly after her arrival she met a street smart, tough guy from East Chicago named Stan (Tarzan) Dobosz, the starting fullback for the Seminole football team. They fell hard for each other and eloped to Georgia less than a year later. They remained happily married for the next 64 years, forging a remarkable, mutually supportive partnership. Bonnie and Stan cultivated a safe and loving home, collaborative parenting, staunch discipline, and a powerful adherence to a belief in the power and mercy of God. They also provided numerous examples to Anajean, Andy and Michael of community leadership by teaching, coaching, volunteering or being an elected and appointed public official for over 40 years. Bonnie and Stan were a cool couple. They were very serious when they had to be and very fun when they wanted to be.

But Bonnie undoubtedly stood out on her own. She was fiercely independent and exhibited girl power in all of its magnificence and grace. Early on, she joined The Griffith Jr. Women's Club. Bonnie was a charter member of The Griffith Park Full of Art committee and an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She was a volunteer at Munster Community Hospital with over 2,000 hours of service helping visitors find their loved ones. Bonnie chaired councilperson election campaigns from 1975 to 2016, handwriting letters, making phone calls and going door-to-door. She was a deeply involved member of the Griffith Historical Society. Bonnie spent countless hours laying personalized bricks for The Memorial Walk in Central Park. In 1991 , the Griffith News named her the Griffith "Woman of the Year."

Bonnie also adored children. She loved to watch them laugh and dance and learn and grow. She told great bedtime stories. While she raised her own three children with equal parts of love, discipline and compassion, she also applied that skill set to other children. Bonnie was the first female gym instructor at St. Mary School teaching for several years. She also taught at Happy Days Pre-School in Highland, formerly in Griffith. Once she was blessed with grandchildren, Bonnie devoted most of her extra time as "Nana", sitting in the first row at sporting activities, hosting sleepovers and simply having play time with Mark, Lindsay, Michael and Abbey.

Maybe Bonnie's strongest trait was her devotion to God. She was raised Christian Scientist but converted to Catholicism shortly after marrying Stan and settling in Northwest Indiana. Church was attended every Sunday. Prayers were said out loud before every meal. She was a CCD teacher, served on the St. Mary Council and was a Eucharistic Minister for 16 years until her sight was devastated by Retinitis Pigmentosa. While on the liturgy committee, she would pour over the missalette and hymnal while assisting the priests in the preparation of the liturgy of the Catholic mass. She loved praying the rosary. In her last years, she and Anajean would listen and participate in the weekly televised mass from Chicago.

All this said, Bonnie Dobosz at her essence was an amazing, selfless human being. She was an eternal optimist; she loved and cared for people. She strove to embody, as best as she could, our Corporal Works of Mercy. She fed the hungry and visited the sick. No favor was too big. Bonnie would make the tough phone calls, bake the cookies, and volunteer for everything. She sent cards for every possible occasion to every person she knew. She rarely forgot a name. She lifted people and wanted her little corner of the world to be a better place. Mom, you will be so dearly missed.

To us, Bonnie will always be our dedicated and loving mom, our amusing and adventurous Nana, a fun and caring aunt, and a kind and faithful friend.

Anajean and Michael want to give a heartfelt special thank you to mom's two caregivers, Anne and Dee, for their exceptionally loving and compassionate care adding two years to her life. Thank you! We will never forget you.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to either The Andrew Dobosz Art Scholarship Fund with The Legacy Foundation or the Indiana State Library Foundation (Attention: Talking Book and Braille Library).

Friends and family can gather at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday June 21, 2025 at St. Mary Church, 525 N. Broad Street in Griffith. A funeral mass will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by a private lunch.

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