A community's loss

Bonnie Eagar died Sunday

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake resident Bonnie Eagar is described as energetic, organized and family oriented.

After years serving her community, 51-year-old Eagar died in her home Sunday of liver failure due to cancer. She was battling breast cancer three and a half years.

Eagar worked in several capacities for the Moses Lake School District before joining the Columbia Basin Job Corps as business-community liaison. Most recently, she served as a volunteer at the Moses Lake Cancer Foundation.

"When I think of Bonnie, I think of someone who was very organized. She kept me knowing what needed to be done, when it needed to be done," said husband Dale Eagar.

Dale said Bonnie enjoyed tumbling around with their four grandchildren. Together, the pair was known as "goofy grandma" and "goofy grandpa."

Out of the couple's 30-year marriage, 27 were in Moses Lake.

Dale said his wife appreciated the support from the community and her family during the time she spent battling cancer.

"Everyone's been great with lots of support and care and encouragement the last three and a half years," he said.

A group of people known as "Team Bonnie" stayed in touch with her by e-mail, cheering her on. People in the community let her know they were praying for her, which gave her strength, Dale said.

"Mom was a friend to everyone in the community," daughter Kara Redd said.

Kara recalled when out in public with Bonnie, she and her siblings were known as Bonnie's children. It was an honor, she said.

"She was so much fun," Kara said. "She was a mom who would listen to you when you needed to be listened to, and she would scold you when you needed to be scolded."

Kara said her mom was there when she needed someone to talk to.

She said Bonnie had a good sense of humor.

"I loved how she would drop everything for family," daughter Brianne Climer said. "Family was really important to her, and because of that, she was really important to us."

Brianne said the community seemed to pull together for her mother.

"Probably the thing that stood out to me most about mom, she was very busy in the community," said son Zachary Eagar.

Zachary said his mother never slowed down. A couple months ago, he called her and told her she needed to grab a book and relax. So, she started reading the "Little House on the Prairie" book series.

No matter how many hats she wore in the community, it seemed being mom was her first priority, Zachary added.

"Mom was always there," he said. "She would stay up until we got home from dates. She would make use feel like us kids were number one because we were."

She knew she could die soon, but nobody anticipated it would be this early, Zachary said.

"She loved her kids, she loved her husband, and they were the most valuable treasures to her," he said.

"Mom was a spectacular person," daughter Amber Smith said.

Amber said many people in the community have been touched by Bonnie, from her work in the school district, to Job Corps, to being an advocate for breast cancer research.

She remembered stopping along the stairs inside her parents' home and seeing symbols of recognition along the wall including awards, plaques and letters.

"I was looking at those, and it just floored me, how many lives my mom has touched," Amber said.

Amber said her mom loved people, the community, her family and her church congregation.

"She did all she could do to help others," she added.

Bonnie enjoyed working in the garden, Amber said.

Friend and neighbor Mary Frederick said the only reason her own lawn has anything beautiful in it is because Eagar was generous and shared. Mary knew Bonnie for eight years.

"She's just been a true sister of the heart," Mary said.

Mary said Bonnie was her inspiration. Bonnie had strength, tenacity and humility, she said.

"She's such a quality person," Mary said. "She had a way of making you feel important."

Bonnie remembered all the details of a person's life, she said.

Everything Bonnie did, she approached it with care and quality, Mary said.

When Bonnie stopped working, they began volunteering together at the Moses Lake Cancer Foundation.

"She helped a lot of cancer survivors," Mary said.

She felt like she could talk to Bonnie about anything.

"She was always so positive, so smiley, so bubbly," said Sally Goodwin, who met Eagar soon after Eagar moved to Moses Lake.

Sally said Bonnie was an organized individual.

"She kept everything moving in the right direction," she said.

Even during her battle with cancer, Bonnie didn't talk about herself, instead focusing on others.

"It was never her. It was always about you," Sally said.

Jennifer Thomas, who is the new business-community liaison at Columbia Basin Job Corps, said she met Bonnie through job corps and through church.

"She was my mentor and dearest friend," Jennifer said. "She was my trainer here, and she gave me the vision of what this could be at job corps."

Job corps Pharmacy Instructor Micki Stanhope, who was friends with Bonnie for 20 years, said Bonnie was always positive.

"Never, ever did I hear a negative thing come out of Bonnie's mouth," Micki said.

Bonnie and Micki worked for the school district and at job corps together. Micki said Bonnie had strong work ethics.

The two shared deep conversations, and Micki felt like she could be herself around Bonnie.

"I'm going to miss her," she said.