Bonnie Lorraine Weir

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Bonnie Lorraine Weir on April 12 2023, at the Ridgewood Veterans Wing in Saint John, NB, surrounded by her loving family and under the excellent care of the Palliative Care Unit.

Bonnie was born on May 6, 1945 and was the daughter of Frances (Doggett) McKay and the granddaughter of the late Edward and Ada (Woodman) Doggett.

Being so close to veterans in her final hours seemed appropriate, because in her early years, Bonnie was a nurse, who took special care of patients (mostly veterans) in the Lancaster Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital (DVA) in West Saint John, New Brunswick. She always spoke lovingly, with great empathy, about her former patients, many decades later.

Bonnie grew up on High Street in the North End of Saint John, NB, and then in her Grade 9 year, moved to Harding Street in the South End of the City. She married her High School sweetheart, Russell Weir, and their marriage lasted for 55 years.

Bonnie was an exceptional student, and graduated from Saint John High School in 1963, after winning high academic honours in Biology and English. She graduated from the Saint John School of Nursing in 1966, Teaching there briefly immediately after graduation.

Some of her fondest memories were from summering in Nova Scotia, at the "little house" in Victoria Beach. The "little house" was a place of joy, where she cooked and baked, a favourite pastime. Summers were filled with time spent together as a family, visiting orchards, farms, fishing villages, and enjoying the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis Valley.

After travel to Nova Scotia in the summers were replaced with blueberry farming, Bonnie, a city girl at birth, threw herself into the work. She worked long, hard days clearing land, burning fields, and harvesting blueberries; all of which was done with her husband, Russell.

Her love of baking came in handy after Weir Blueberries (owned by Bonnie and Russell) bought Gordon McKay and Sons ("McKay’s Blueberries") in Pennfield in 1996. Bonnie’s recipes, and her love of people and baking turned a tiny farmstand into a regional phenomenon and destination for many tourists and locals. Bonnie became the "Pie Lady" to many busloads of tourists and was loved by travelers from all over the world who returned to the Maritimes and made a trip to visit Bonnie a mandatory part of their trip. She was featured in magazines, newspapers and radio programs (all of which she hated the idea of being in).

She had a giving nature that showed up in her donating her time freely and in giving the bounty of the farm to those she felt were most in need. She volunteered as a Brownie leader, going by the name Snowy Owl for many years, even though she didn’t have a daughter to support in the program. For many years she donated food to local charities without any expectation for recognition.

Bonnie was known for loving everyone she met, and for loving animals of all kinds. Her deep affection for animals even extended to bees, especially honeybees, bumblebees, and leafcutter bees, all of which were used to pollinate the blueberry fields. She had an artistic nature, appreciating all forms of beauty in the world. Her painted nativity scene is a cherished family heirloom. Bonnie was an expert cake decorator too, a master of puns and tongue twisters, and would often recite poems without warning. She amassed a huge collection of cookbooks, which she read frequently.

Bonnie’s two children and three grandchildren were a special love of hers. She is survived by her devoted husband of 55 years, Russell Weir, of Pennfield, N.B.; her sons Graeme (Lisa) Weir and Christopher (Shelley) Weir and her grandchildren, Kennedy Weir and Jackson and Alexandria Weir.

The funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Saint George Funeral Home, 26 Portage Street, Saint George (506.755.3533). In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place.

Visitation will take place on Saturday April 15^th at Saint George Funeral Home, 26 Portage Street, Saint George between the hours of 7pm and 9pm. Friends and family are also invited to attend the funeral service, which will be held on Sunday, April 16th, 2023 at 2pm at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, 28 Main Street, Saint George, with a reception following in the Church Hall. Interment will be for family only and take place at Ocean View Memorial Gardens at a later date. Sending donations and remembrances to the SPCA, Charge Syndrome Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Alzheimer Society of Canada would be greatly appreciated by the family.

The funeral service for Bonnie with be live streamed via zoom. To join Zoom Meeting please log on to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83220407359?pwd=Uis4b1cxNUY2NjIveE9xRVluaTd0Zz09                   and use Meeting ID: 832 2040 7359 and Passcode: 212211