Cindy Bonnet lost her battle with cancer at the age of 60 and passed on November 28, 2020 at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. She is survived by her husband Andrew Sperry, her brothers William (Bill), Richard (Rick) and Robert (Bob) married to Naia. In addition, she is survived by nephew William IV and nieces Meaghan and Bethany.
Cindy was born in White Plains, NY a daughter of the late William Bonnet and Anne Frazer Bonnet. She was raised in Westfield, NJ as the only girl and “kid” sister to three older brothers who essentially raised her and kept her safe. She thought the world of them and frequently told anyone who would listen that nobody would come between her and her brothers.
After high school, she followed in the path of the twins, Rick and Bob, attending Berry College in Rome, GA and now considered by many to be the most beautiful college campus in the world. Her father drove her to the college in 1978, dropped her off with a five dollar bill and wished her good luck. With a work-study scholarship and a resolve to succeed, Cindy graduated in four years with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1982.
Cindy had met and dated Andrew when both attended Berry College but Andrew made plans to transfer to and graduate from the University of Georgia. Eight years later, they reunited and realized they were perfect for each other. Cindy felt her four years at Berry had had a tremendous impact on her life. Berry gave her lifelong friends and a “special” place to return to for happy reunions over the years. She often referred to the college as her Camelot.
Cindy worked her entire career managing retail drugstores for the Eckerd, Rite-Aid and Walgreen’s chains. She enjoyed working with people of all ages and inspired them with her work ethic and dedication. Her favorite time of year started with Halloween, immediately followed by Christmas music and the Christmas holiday season when she seemed to find more enjoyment opening boxes at work and putting out merchandise for others to purchase. She retired from Walgreens in July of 2019.
Cindy became a supporter of the National Inclusion Project whose mission is to make the inclusion of children with disabilities the expectation, not the exception. She bonded with a special group of ladies who were also NIP advocates over their mutual love of American Idol music star Clay Aiken, a co-founder, sponsor and performer at concert events.
In spite of the cancer, Cindy truly felt her life was happy. She went places and had experiences she never expected. And she shared them with the people she loved. In notes that she left, she wanted to remind everyone to be sure and tell people you love them, don’t wait. Cindy was quick to smile and had the most infectious laugh that always let you know that she had arrived.
Cindy's request was that you honor her by donating to her two favorite charities
Berry College (reference the Cindy Bonnet Memorial Fund), https://berry.givingfuel.com/gift
The National Inclusion Project, www.inclusionproject.org