Mary Kate Bonds, U.S. Navy (ret.), 92, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, at Penick Village.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, in Southern Pines, with the Rev. Philip Marian Tighe of the Diocese of Raleigh officiating. Burial will follow at Pinelawn Memorial Park.
Born Sept. 21, 1920, in Chickamauga, Ga., she was the daughter of the late George Lester Bonds and Kate Emmett Lynam Bonds. She graduated from Gordon Lee Memorial High School in Chickamauga, earned a B.S. degree from the University of Chattanooga (now the University of Tennessee), a master’s degree from Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and attended various U.S. Navy schools.
Civilian awards include Humane Society, 25 years; Order of Long Leaf Pine, Governors Award State of North Carolina; American Red Cross Exceptional Volunteer Service — 50 year service pin; St. Joseph of the Pines chairman and 15 years on the board of directors and the Southern Pines Rotary Club Award — Four Way Test.
She entered the U.S. Navy Dec. 23, 1942, as seaman/midshipman and retired Feb. 2, 1971, as a captain. Top Naval awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and various service medals.
Significant duty assignments include commander, 1st Platoon Reserve Recruits Training Command, Bronx, N.Y.; commander, 1st Battalion Regular Navy Recruits Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.; duty on chief of Naval Air Training Staff, NAS Pensacola, Fla.; duty chief of staff of Naval Operations/Staff Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, D.C.; Staff Headquarters U.S. Forces Europe; Camp Des Loges St. Germain-en- Large, France; duty staff of secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.; and numerous Naval Aviation Commands during 30 years of service.
Ms. Bonds is survived by a niece, Harriet Lyn Bonds, of Dallas; Sandra L. Cole, her faithful helper and companion for more than 40 years; and many other friends who will miss her dearly.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Anthony of Padua, Moore Humane Society, or the Sandhills Coalition for Human Care. Online condolences may be made at www.pinesfunerals.com.
Fry & Prickett Funeral Home has been entrusted with handling the services.