Bonnie Sue Rowe Clinbeard

On January 8, 2023 beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Bonnie Sue Rowe Clinbeard, passed from her earthly life to the eternal life of God’s glory. Bonnie was born on November 1, 1946 in Galveston, TX, to Colonel Gerald William Rowe and Maxine Gay Rowe. Being a military dependent, Bonnie attended schools in several states including Texas, Kansas and Colorado. She graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County, Maryland in June 1964. After graduating from high school she attended Texas Women’s University to obtain an associates degree. She then toured Europe for a year while her father was stationed in West Germany. Upon returning to the USA, she worked as a secretary for various employers in Colorado Springs including the Air Force Academy. Later, she desired to acquire a teaching degree and attended Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas, graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She subsequently taught elementary education for two years in the San Antonio area.

While a student at Incarnate Word, Bonnie met Air Force First Lieutenant Dale A. Clinbeard at the Fort Sam Houston Officer’s Club. They were married on June 10, 1972 in the chapel at Fort Sam Houston. It was then that Bonnie decided that her true goals were to become a devoted wife and loving mother. Their only child, Krista Therese, was born on June 17, 1974. Krista’s middle name, Therese, was in honor of St. Therese of Lisieux. Bonnie felt that St. Therese’s “Little Way” was how she wanted to live her life. Simply stated, the Little Way is to live a spiritual life doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. Bonnie cherished everyday life including the comforts of home, beloved pets, collectibles, latch hook crafts, pretty clothes, game shows and murder mysteries, and delicious food and desserts. She loved her family and friends with extraordinary love, always parting with “love you”, giving and asking for “kisses”, and fully embraced sentimental moments and reliving those moments frequently in story telling. She was strong in her Catholic faith, a member of St. Mary Catholic church in Greenville, always prayerful and trusted that God would take care of her and her family. Recently, on June 10, 2022 Bonnie and Dale celebrated their 50th anniversary with family.

In addition to her husband of 50 years and her daughter, she is survived by sisters Jeralyn Rowe Hibbard, Nancy Rowe Duncan and Priscilla Rowe Krieg, and son-in-law J. Mathew Good and granddaughters Emma, Libby and Molly Good.

A visitation will be held at Krista and Matt’s home at 1047 Parkins Mill Road, in Greenville on Monday evening, January 16 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. A funeral service will be conducted at noon on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Greenville, SC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.