First Husband Robert Edward Ringling
Second Husband Robert Calvin Bonseigneur
Daughter of Joseph and Helen Eichinger Bauernfeind

Sarasota Herald-Tribune Oct 14, 1991
By Kathleen Flinn (staff writer)

Irene Bauernfeind Ringling BonSeigneur, credited as one of the founders of New College and former wife of circus president Robert Ringling, died Saturday at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. She was 80. BonSeigneur was involved with the creation of New College from the beginning, said Rolland Heiser, president of the New College Foundation. "She was a tremendous lady," Heiser said. "Without her, New College wouldn't be what it is today. She gave her time, substantial amounts of money and was strong in raising volunteer support. She believed in what the college stoof for. I had great admiration for her." She developed and chaired the first of teh college's "action auctions" in the 1960s, and raised $100,000 each time out. "But she was always very adamant that no credit should go to her," said Debbie Ezzell, her close friend who also works with th New College Foundation. She married Robert Ringling in the 1940s while he was president of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Robert was the son of Charles Ringling, on of teh original five "Ringling Brothers." She had met him in the late 1920s after graduating from the School of Nursing at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill. she moved to sarasota to care for his ailing first wife Virginia, who died in 1939. Irene and Robert married several years after Virginia's death. When Ringling took over control of the circus in the early 1940s, the couple lived in the Charles Ringling mansion, now the South Hall at New College. They later built a one-story house on the grounds of the college, where she continued to live after his death in 1950. Last year when the catalog committee at the New College suggested they honor her by dedication two pages of the college catalog to her contributions, she declined, Ezzell said. "She thought all the publicity should go to the college, not to her. She was like that with everything, always very tough-minded." "Irene was a very smart woman, with lots of energy and enthusiasm who was always interested in trying to be productive, moving ahead with things, particularly when it came to the college," said Ringling Museum spokeswoman,
Pat Buck. In the late 1950's she married Robert C. "Bonny" BonSeigneur, a prominent banking executive. He died in 1985. "She was a really interesing person, but when she'd start to tell you her life story, she'd say 'Oh, you wouldn't be interested. My life's boring.' But nothing Irene was ever involved in was boring" Ezell said. Survivors include two (step) sons, James C ringling of Iowa and Charles Josef Ringling of Sarasota; a sister, Katherine Iaccino of Manteca, Calif.; four brothers, Al Bauernfeind of Wood Dale, Ill, Jim Bauernfeind of Pekin, Ill, Louie Bauernfeind of Iowa and William Bauer of Manteca; nine grandchildren, including Robert Kirk Ringling of sarasota; and eight great-grandchildren. The funeral liturgy will be at 10a.m. Tuesday at St. Martha's Catholic Church. Toale Brothers Funeral Home, Colonial Chapel, is in charge. Memorial donations may
be made to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, 1700 S. Tamiami Trail, sarasota 34239