Bonnie (Barton) Armstrong, of Hingham, passed away at home with her family at her side on 3 February 2012 at the age of 77 after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was the daughter of George William Barton, originally of Wilmette, IL and Marjorie Moore Barton, originally of Ada, OK. Bonnie grew up in Evanston, IL and near Nogales, AZ and resided in Hingham since 1965. She graduated from the University of New Mexico and was active in summer stock theater in the years after her graduation. She met her husband, John Borden Armstrong, Sr. in Boston and was the mother of John Borden Armstrong, Jr. and Andrew Barton Armstrong. Bonnie was a change ringer at the Hingham Memorial Bell Tower and the Church of the Advent, Boston during the 1970s. She was a talented artist who enjoyed handcrafting and decorative painting. After the passing of her husband in 1985 Bonnie was a member of New Beginnings, became active in the folk dance community in the greater Boston area, and also enjoyed being a member of the Bulgarian women's chorus Divi Zheni for many years. In her music and dance she continued to have a theatrical flair and joy at entertaining an audience. Even while struggling against her ailments she travelled extensively and accomplished major painting and light carpentry projects on her home. She was blessed with two grandchildren, Ewan Lee Armstrong and Anna Talea C S Armstrong, and two loving daughters-in-law, Keumjoo Lee Armstrong and Dr A A T Simone Reinders-Armstrong who brought much joy to her in her later years. She will remembered as a generous and loving mother and an independent spirit who was determined to live her life to its fullest potential. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Barton French of Pagosa Springs, CO, and by her two sons and their families. A Funeral service will be held on Friday, 10 February at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist, 172 Main Street, Hingham with burial to follow at the High Street Cemetery, Hingham. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Folk Arts Center of New England, 10 Franklin Street, Stoneham, MA 02180-1862 or in support of breast cancer research to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.


Published in The Patriot Ledger on February 8, 2012