December 16, 2023
In Loving Memory ~
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Bonicia (Bonnie) Bryant Harbidge (Stoba) of Comox, BC on December 16, 2023 at the age of 95 years. On November 11, 2023 Bonnie broke her pelvic bone, while trying to sit on her bed when the power was out. She remained in the North Island hospital until her passing.
Bonnie was predeceased by her parents (Katharine and William Stoba), her daughter Kim Harbidge, her husband Robert William, her niece Patsy Sanders (Stoba), her sister Patricia Sanders (Stoba), and her niece Glennis Sanders (Stoba).
She is survived by her daughter Raven Wyntre-Clarkson previously named Rae Harbidge, (Malcolm Wyntre-Clarkson), grandson Daniel Allen-Lompart (Kei Takada), step-daughter Karen Boll (Harbidge), niece Diana McKay (Stoba), nephew Harry Stoba, nephew Stephen Sanders, step-grandson Jason Boll, and great step-grandchildren Sarah Houston, Brandon Boll and Samuel Boll.
Bonnie was born and raised in Victoria, BC. She attended Margaret Jenkins and Victoria High School. She had many fond memories of venturing on the beach at Hollywood Crescent where the family home was located. In her last days in the hospital, she reminisced about the days spent there.
In her twenties, Bonnie became involved with the Girl Guides, having not been a Brownie or Girl Guide herself. She always wanted to be involved with the Guides. In her later years Bonnie became involved with the Courtenay Trefoil Guild, and attended their conferences in all but one province.
In 2016, Bonnie met her goal of going to Newfoundland and Labrador, the last province she had not been to. She invited her daughter Raven and they enjoyed a 9 day bus tour thru Newfoundland with the Trefoil Group.
Bonnie met Robert Harbidge and they were married in Victoria, May 1, 1954 and had a 2 week honeymoon travelling thru the interior of BC. They moved to Sea Island as Bob was in the Air Force, and stationed in Vancouver.
In 1955 Bonnie had her daughter Rae, and in 1956 she had her daughter Kim. In 1958 Bob was transferred to Comox and the family followed him. In 1962 Bob was transferred to 1 wing France where they lived for four years.
If Bonnie had her way they would've transferred to Vancouver BC, however she braved the new world and had many adventures in Europe over those 4 years. During her last 6 months in France, Bonnie became the Area Commissionaire for the Girl Guides.
In 1967 the family moved back to the family home in Comox, after a 1 year stint in Camp Borden. Bob bought a driving school in Courtenay and Bonnie was involved in the office - answering the phone, and book keeping for the business.
Bonnie was very self sufficient. She learned to knit around the age of 6 and continued knitting up until the last five years of her life. She knit many socks for Bob, sweaters for her girls, and in later years mittens and touques for the Church bazarre in Comox. Bonnie also sewed, and made her daughters clothes up until their teens, as well as sewing and knitting clothes for their dolls. She had a huge garden, and canned and froze produce that fed her family for many years. Bonnie also baked bread from scratch and her bread recipe was delicious.
Bonnie had many interests. In the beginning of the 70s she joined the Courtenay hiking club in Courtenay hiked with along with her daughter Kim. Always keen to learn, Bonnie took cooking classes and her family ate many of her creations - Chinese, South Asian, being a couple of cuisines she was interested in.
Bonnie loved to play games and was very competitive. She was an avid scrabble player in a couple of scrabble clubs in Courtenay. She could be seen with a small group playing in the Comox mall, or with a friend at the Comox Golf Club until Covid hit. She had her last scrabble games in the hospital playing a game with her grandson, Daniel and a game with her son-in-law Malcolm.
Thank you to North Island Hospital for looking after Bonnie. Thank you to Barb, a volunteer with Comox Valley Peer Society for her one hour visits this past year. Thank you to Lynn for shopping for my mother thank you to Ria for checking in on Bonnie, thank you to Ricki for her years of cleaning house, and to Shrek for taking her to doctor visits.
There will be no formal funeral service or Celebration of Life at this time.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Girl Guides of Canada.