Date of Birth:
Saturday, October 27, 1956
Date of Death:
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Age:
65 years old

Bonita Kay Sawyer

Bonnie Sawyer, 65, of Rochester MN, died unexpectedly in a motor vehicle accident on December 15th. She and her twin sister Barbara were born October 27, 1956, in Austin Minnesota to Louis and Mary Blahnik. The family moved to a farm north of Spring Valley in 1962 and she graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1974. Bonnie graduated from Winona State College in 1978 with a degree in education majoring in English. She worked at several jobs including Stauffer Industries, Olmsted ARC Homes, Olmsted County and Rochester Public Schools. She recently retired after 25 years and was looking forward to all the things a long-awaited retirement had to offer her. Over those 25 years she worked at the Olmsted County jail helping inmates achieve their diplomas and GED’s, Hawthorne Education Center teaching ESL, and private tutoring individuals including children with short- and long-term illness while being treated at St Mary’s and Mayo Clinic. Teaching was Bonnie’s passion, and she took great pride in the achievements of her students.

Bonnie met the love of her life, Tom Sawyer, and married in 1981. They had one son, Daimon, who gave them so much pride and joy. She was an extraordinarily kind person who always put others before herself. She even donated one of her kidneys to a little boy who she’d never met and regularly donated blood throughout her life. Bonnie volunteered in church and community activities, was active in the Rochester education association, and held leadership positions at the lodge, district, and state levels of Western Fraternal life Association honoring her Czech heritage. “Yes,” was a common motto for opportunities and she’d often comment on how lucky she was for all the people, pets and things in her life. Bonnie loved going on “adventures,” watching sports (especially the Vikings), her two animals Theo and Stella Marie, but most of all spending time with family, friends and her son Daimon.

She is survived by her son Daimon and his wife Stephanie, stepchildren Dennis Sawyer, Tina Arndt, and Dani Coppage; step-grandchildren, Andy, Kristina, Levi, Kasim, Zayna, Salimah and Sabirah; brothers James Blahnik, Joe Blahnik, Donald Blahnik (Brenda), Fred Blahnik (Carla), sisters Mary Haggerty (Ken), Darlene Kraus (Joe), Dorothy Denison (Jerry), Carolyn Greeley, Beth Peska (Jerry), Cathy Bly (Jack), and twin sister Barbara Smalley. She is preceded in death by her husband Tom, both parents, brother Francis Blahnik, and stepson Tommy Sawyer.

Visitation will be held 4:00pm to 7:00pm Tuesday, December 21st in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester. The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church Wednesday, December 22nd at 10:30am (also will be able to view online) with a one hour visitation being held at 9:30am prior to mass. Luncheon following Mass at St. Pius X Catholic Church.