Bonnie Fauntleroy, DTM
Bonnie Rae Fauntleroy was born on December 6, 1958 in Brooklyn, New York to Herbert and Deloris Harris. She was the first of two daughters born to this union.
Bonnie was educated in the New York Public School System, graduating from James Madison High School in the class of 1976. She went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in psychology from York College, of the City University of New York.
After college, Bonnie worked in the retail industry eventually landing at the famed Lord & Taylor department store in midtown Manhattan. She rose through the ranks in the financial unit, becoming the vice president, operations, of its cash office. She was the first African American woman to occupy this position and was responsible for the flagship department store’s daily cash and credit operations.
In the winter of 1983, while commuting during a snow storm on the Long Island Railroad from Queens to Manhattan, Bonnie met Thomas Fauntleroy Jr. The couple dated and married in August of 1985. To this union, two children were born: Justin and Kristin.
The family settled in southern New Jersey where Bonnie became a teacher at a small Christian school, Baxter Christian Academy. In 2002, they moved to Atlanta where Bonnie held various customer service positions at shipping giant UPS.
Bonnie was an active member of Toastmasters International and credited the organization for helping her find and effectively use her voice. She eagerly served as an officer in District 44, rising to Division Governor as well as president, vice president and other positions. She was a trailblazer leveraging Toastmasters at UPS to develop others as leaders as well as championing the cause for multiple myeloma awareness.
Most importantly, Bonnie was a powerful woman of God, a prayer warrior who loved to worship the mighty name of Jesus.
Nicknamed “Sunshine,” Bonnie was known for her beautiful smile, and generous, caring heart. She was a standard bearer, always advocating for what was right. She had a passion to help others grow and remained faithful to her commitments. She was full of life and love. She loved to dance and especially enjoyed doing arts and crafts with her grandsons and nieces as well as reading to them often.
Bonnie entered into eternal rest on the afternoon of November 21, 2019. She leaves to cherish her memory her parents, Herbert and Deloris; former spouse, Thomas Fauntleroy Jr.; one son, Justin (Phylicia); one daughter, Kristin; two grandsons, Jett and Levi; a sister, Nicole (Ira), nieces (Ari, Zoe and Nia) and a host of other relatives and friends.
Bonnie was a dedicated member of several UPS Toastmasters Clubs including Speaking Solutions Toastmasters, UPS Club and United Public Speakers for many years. She served our district as Division G Governor, Public Relations Manager, Strategic Branding Officer and an intricate member of our conference team as Conference Co-Chair, Volunteer Chair and Decorations Chair.