Biografie

OBITUARY

Marian Nathan Bonem

FEBRUARY 6, 1927 – AUGUST 23, 2015

IN THE CARE OF

Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel

MARIAN BONEM, (nee Nathan), beloved wife of the late Fred; loving mother of Howard (Deborah), David (Marsha) and Steven(Patricia); devoted grandmother of six, great grandmother of five; dear sister of Carryl Cohen (deceased). A celebration of Marian's life will be held Sunday, August 30 at 11:00AM at the BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1985 S. TAYLOR RD. CLEVELAND HTS. Family will receive friends at the residence 3324 Clayton Blvd., Shaker Hts. Sunday 5-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, friends who wish may contribute to: The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park, Beachwood, OH, 44122. Marian Bonem, 88, passed away on August 23, 2015. Marian was born on February 6, 1927 in the town of Bingen, Germany. She was married to Fred Bonem for 55 years. Fred predeceased her in 2004. She is survived by her three boys and their wives; Howard and Deborah, David and Marsha and Steve and Patty. She has six grandchildren, Melissa, Lathem, Laura, Emily, Katherine, and Suzanne; and 5 great grandchildren, Tripp, Zoe, Declan, Sofia and Mya. Marian was the daughter of Gustav and Else (Meyer) Nathan, and grew up as part of an extended family of winemakers and brandy distillers in the Rhine Valley in western Germany. Her earliest childhood memories were of sampling grape juice from barrels stored in the family wine cellars and learning to swim in the Rhine river. Her peaceful childhood was shattered in the 1930’s by rise of Nazism in Germany. Her family remained in Germany well into the Nazi era, up to the time of Kristallnacht in fall of 1938. Just days following Kristallnacht she was hastily sent out of Germany to live with a family in Amsterdam, where she was eventually reunited with her mother, father and sister. After a brief stay in Amsterdam, they emigrated to the US and settled in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, joining other family members in the area. Marian graduated from Heights High School where she was a standout swimmer. During WWII she volunteered as a swimming instructor for Navy recruits. After graduating from Miami University with a degree in Business Administration she accepted a job in Cincinnati Ohio as a buyer for a large department store. In Cincinnati she met her future husband, Fred Bonem. After their marriage they moved back to Cleveland where Fred pursued his career as a pharmacist and eventually opened several independent drug stores in the Cleveland area. Marian’s life was devoted to her family and she had three sons within a four year period. The family moved to Shaker Heights in the 1950’s, where she remained a resident for the rest of her life. Despite the demands of raising 3 boys, Marian was always active outside the home, participating in PTA and other volunteer work. In the early 1960’s when her children reached school age she re-launched her professional career, first as a licensed real estate agent and then holding management positions with several nonprofit and public sector organizations. She worked as the Manager of a groundbreaking home ownership program for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Executive Director of Shaker Communities Development Foundation, Director of Development of the Task Force on Violent Crime and Director of Home Operations for Help Inc./Six Chimneys. Marian was very proud of the example she set as a college educated professional woman and her stories of coping with systemic workplace discrimination set an important example for her family. Shaped by her childhood experiences and deeply held values, throughout her life Marian demonstrated energy and passion for issues of social justice. In the early 1970’s Marian coordinated a nationally-recognized study of real estate “steering” practices which established the protocols for analysis and oversight of equal housing practices in local real estate sales and rental markets. She was Campaign Manager for Common Pleas Court Judge Burt Griffin, Treasure of the Shaker Heights Housing Associates and was an Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau of Cleveland. Marian was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother and was an important and active part of all of her family’s lives. She was a longtime supporter and season ticket holder of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and a loyal fan of the Cleveland Indians. Her devotion to family and her interests in improving society through personal and political action never diminished.

Q: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/cleveland-heights-oh/marian-bonem-6565704