Bonnie Sue Deitz died in her sleep on Sept. 19 surrounded by family and loved ones after a brave battle with cancer. She was 67.

Bonnie was larger than life. The impact she left on those around her was tremendous. Born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, she was not what most would call your typical woman.

Youngest daughter to Ken and Phyllis Deitz, Bonnie quickly fell in love with the outdoors and could be found out with the boys, chasing fish with her cousin Cooper and friends. In school, she was bright minded and had a passion for mathematics and art. Her father pushed her to pursue a career in math. She took this to heart and became a math teacher for seventh and eighth grade, spending over 30 years teaching young minds at the Edgartown School. Over the course of this time, she made lifelong connections with colleagues who became more like sisters and brothers, many of whom played crucial roles in the comfort and care for her over her last few months.

Outside of teaching, she developed a passion for baking. Her cakes and other assorted baked goods touched the palettes of people all over the island.

She followed in her father’s footsteps, pursuing her passion for the female order of the Freemasons, the Order of the Eastern Star. Starting as a Rainbow Girl, she worked her way up through the ranks until she reached Worthy Matron and held that title many times over her tenure until the chapter closed on Island.

Her love for the outdoors didn’t stop when she was younger. In her adult years, she became an active participant in the Boy Scouts of America. She helped numerous young people through scouting on and off the Island and shared her passion for teaching with them. She spent eight summers on Cape Cod at Camp Greenough, running the Cub Day Camp Program as well as running the program at Camp Duarte.

The one thing she loved most of all was her family. Her kids were her biggest pride and joy. She raised four kids, mostly on her own, and she was “damn” proud of it. She loved them with every fiber of her being. She taught them what it meant to be family and she enjoyed every moment with them.

Her other passion in life was her love of God. After spending many years in the Methodist church, she switched to the Episcopal faith. She was a devoted member of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Serving her God was a love of hers and she did it with grace and dedication. She took her devotion to God seriously, serving on the vestry and traveling with her church to various places such as a mission trip to Ecuador, and a pilgrimage to Israel with our local bishop.

Her passion for travel wasn’t limited to just religious trips. While teaching, she made the trip with the eight grade class almost every year to Washington DC. Outside of school, she loved to travel with her family. She loved to explore and learn about different places, traveling to places as far as Hawaii and Germany.

Her love for life was felt by all those with whom she interacted. Her dedication to helping those she cared about will be deeply missed. She was truly one of a kind. Her loss leaves a massive hole in our family and community, but her legacy will live on through all of us.

She is survived by her four children: Jeffery, Jennifer and her spouse Benjamin, William and his spouse Lianne, and Jaclynn. She also leaves behind four grandchildren: Gabriella, William, Oakley and Oliver, all of whom she loved very dearly.

She was predeceased by her parents, Kenneth and Phyllis, and her sister Doreen.