Bonnie Lou White

Bonnie Lou (Thorton) White was born August 8, 1934 in Blackwell, Oklahoma to Joseph and Florence Thorton.

She moved to Wichita, Kansas at a young age and graduated from Plane View Kansas High School in 1952. During her high school years, she was one of the most popular students. After high school, she worked on the flight line of the Boeing Aircraft Company in Wichita.
Bonnie married Robert Collins White, Jr. in Wichita, Kansas on April 30, 1954.

The union produced five children, daughter Lynda Kay White (deceased), son Jerry Dee White (deceased), son Terry Lee White (deceased), son Gregory Mark White, and daughter Lea Ann Pickett. Bonnie lived in Norman since 1954 and during that time, she participated in many community organizations. When her children were in school, Bonnie was very involved in the PTA. She chaperoned numerous field trips, school activities and church camps. Bonnie also worked in Admissions and Records at the University of Oklahoma for many years. She was a very active member of McFarlin United Methodist Church, leading women’s prayer groups, teaching Sunday school to 6th graders, serving as a greeter for over 30 years, and playing on various McFarlin Women’s softball teams for over 20 years.

Two of her greatest passions were sewing and quilting. She was very accomplished at both and won many awards for her quilting. She was a member of the Norman Quilters’ Guild and served in key positions for many years and was instrumental in the growth of the organization. She was a member of the Norman Art League, and United Methodist Women. In her spare time, she loved quilting, sewing, reading, watching the OKC Thunder, and playing with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as much as possible.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her father Joseph Thomas Thorton, mother Florence Hand Thorton Upshaw, and brother Merle Thorton.

She is survived by her husband Robert C. White, Jr. of the home; son Gregory Mark White and his partner Harriet Bohanan of Norman; daughter Lea Ann Pickett of Norman; former daughter-in-law Gosia White and her partner George Kondogianis of Cortlandt, New York; grandchildren Cole and Kelly White and their mother Julie Alsup of Newport Beach, California; and Mandi Lacher and Collin Pickett of Norman; great grandchildren Aidan, Mackenzie, and Emma Lou Lacher of Norman.