Obituary of Arlene M. Bonner
April 2, 1942 – May 17, 2025
Arlene Margaret Bonner, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Arbor Terrace in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, surrounded by her loving family. She was 83 years old.
Born in Perth Amboy, NJ, on April 2, 1942, to the late Bernard and Alice Farrington, Arlene was raised in Perth Amboy and graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1960. She married the love of her life, William Bonner, in 1962, and they began their life together in Roselle Park and moved to Scotch Plains. In 1972, they settled in Warren, New Jersey, where Arlene would remain a devoted member of the community for over 53 years.
In her early career, Arlene worked at Brown Insurance and Travel in high school and beyond, serving as a clerk and insurance policy adjuster. After marrying, she worked at National State Bank in Elizabeth, NJ, in mortgage processing from 1962 to 1964. Once her daughters were born, Arlene focused on raising her family before partnering with her husband to start and run Crystallod, a crystal research and production company in Somerville, NJ. She worked there for 15 years, doing bookkeeping, and was proud to have been involved in the company’s formation and growth.
Arlene was a devoted mother to her two daughters, Lori and Sandy, who were her greatest joy. She found immense pride in motherhood and took special delight in the small everyday moments—always quick to offer support, comfort, or a kind word. Her daughters remember her as their fiercest advocate, a guiding light, and the heart of their home.
She was a faithful parishioner for 53 years at Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church in Warren, NJ, where she was a proud member of the Rosary Society. Her faith and her community were central to her life.
Arlene found joy in simple pleasures—sewing, ceramics, and especially gardening. She had a green thumb and loved watching her flowers bloom each spring. Her kindness, warmth, and optimism will be missed by all who knew her. Arlene told her daughters that she would like to be remembered as always having a positive attitude, being a grateful person, as well as someone who always said thank you.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband, William Bonner, in 2006, and her parents, Bernard and Alice Farrington.
She is survived by her loving daughters, Laura Bonner and Sandra Kopet and her husband, Matthew; her brother, Robert Farrington, and his wife, Eileen; her sister, Linda Kubala and her husband, Edward, her brother in-law, Robert Bonner and his wife, Patricia; her nieces Elizabeth, Jill, and Wendy; her nephews Sean, John and Joseph; and their spouses and many grandnieces and grandnephews, who all adored their “Aunt Arlene.” Her presence will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM at Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church, 170 Mount Bethel Road in Warren, NJ, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Interment will take place at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity that speaks to your heart.
