Bonnie Boyer Derr

DURHAM- Bonnie Boyer Derr left this life peacefully on July 30th just 10 days after an unexpected discovery of Stage IV lung cancer and a following heart attack. Bonnie was born October 7,1944 in Santa Rosa California to George Calvin and Mary Magdaline Sandor Boyer while Geroge was stationed there in the Army. The family moved to Pueblo, Colorado where Bonnie grew up and graduated high school in 1962. 

Thereafter, she moved to Washington, DC to begin her college education at George Washington University (“GWU”) while working at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President Budget (“OMB”). During this time, she met her future husband Dailey Derr from Asheboro, NC. He was also in Washington, DC attending graduate school at GWU and working at OMB. They were married at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church July 20th, 1968, in Washington, DC by Dailey’s college roommate. 

They subsequently moved to Durham NC for Dailey to finish law school at UNC-CH where Bonnie completed her degree in political science in 1971, becoming an avid Tar Heel fan. She then went to work for the UNC-CH Carolina Population Center, then worked for Family Health International in the Research Triangle Park. This led her to a job at Population Services International in Washington DC where she began an intriguing position providing family planning and family health in multiple third world countries educating government agencies and non-profit agencies on family planning and family health. This position involved frequent travel to foreign destinations and exposed Bonnie to many cultures. She thoroughly enjoyed providing services to all the family planning and health organizations and received numerous accolades for her management skills and innovations. 

After this, she went to work in Dailey’s law office in Durham for 10 years before taking a position in 2006 in the Office of the President of the UNC University System as the Coordinator of International Studies for the entire UNC system, retiring in June 2016. 

Early in her years in Durham, she was President of the Durham Democrat Women and of the Durham Lawyers Wives. 

In 2016, she began to pursue her interests in art which became a passion, taking many courses through various resources, both online and in person. She became a skilled watercolor artist with her works occasionally being displayed in local art exhibits and developed many friendships with teachers and students in the art community. 

Through her exposure to environmental issues during her education years, she had developed a keen interest in environmental issues including climate change. In this regard Bonnie became impassioned with protecting the environment in her personal life and advocating for environmentally sound policies within her church and local community. 

Bonnie had a love of all artistic venues, attending many concerts and theatrical performances and becoming a season ticket holder for Durham Performing Arts Center for many years. She relished joining friends for preperformance dinners and other social gatherings. Throughout her life, she maintained a close relationship with her family and friends, traveling to Maryland, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Charlotte whenever possible, sharing holidays and vacations with loved ones. She enjoyed travelling with Dailey to beaches, family, novel places, conferences and to foreign areas. They delighted in dancing together and at times won prizes for their dancing.

Bonnie and Dailey joined the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham in1974 and celebrated 50 years of active membership just last month. As a member of Westminster, she was an Ordained Deacon for two terms and a Ruling Elder for two terms. She was also a Superintendent of the Sunday School, Chair of the Adult Education Committee, a Stephen Minister, Chair of the Flower Guild where her artistic skills were on display, leader of the Sojourners Sunday School Class, member of the Game Night Supper Club Group, Monday Morning Bible Study, member of the Local Mission Committee, member of the Worship Commission, a Board member representing WPC to NCCU Presbyterian Campus Ministry, a Durham CAN Core member and was Chair of the Personal Committee for the Presbytery of New Hope. 

Bonnie was a very bright star in the universe and Dailey’s North Star. She loved life, Dailey and dog Holly, family, friends, art colleagues, animals, especially her family dogs, feeding birds, plants, and flowers. She was a true nature lover who was in awe of God’s creations. Bonnie said recently to Dailey, “we have had a wonderful life together” and he replied to her, “we certainly have.”

Bonnie is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Dailey, her brother George David Boyer and wife Marsha, in Kansas and three cousins, Jeff Smith and wife Dawn in Maryland, John Boyer and wife Maryanne in Texas and Carol Ann Rubble in North Carolina; two nieces, Katie Newell and Betsy Boyer, and three grand nieces, Annie Newell, Ellie Newel, and Summer Schmuck-Boyer in Kansa.

Bonnie left this life with Dailey, Jeff, and Cherrie Henry, WPC Associate Pastor, praying for her and comforting her. Bonnie will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and others who knew her.

In lieu of flowers, Dailey has asked that donations be made either to the Flower Guild at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Durham CAN, North Carolina Basnight Cancer Hospital, or any other preferred charities.

The family thanks everyone at UNC Health Care for their care of Bonnie.