Bonita Q Tillman

Bonita Quiett Tillman was born on May 15, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia to the late Granville Quiett and Ruth Wood. She was raised by her loving and dedicated grandparents, the late Granville P. Quiett and Penelope Boone Quiett in Norfolk, Virginia. Bonita thrived as a youth. She had a full life and enjoyed outings, activities and spending time with family and friends. She was an avid reader and loved to learn, resulting in her skipping a grade in her primary years. Later she attended Booker T. Washington High School where she also excelled academically. After graduating from high school, she attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science and Education in 1963, graduating with honors in the top 5 percent of her class. After earning her degree, Bonita moved home and taught in the Norfolk Public School system before moving to the Washington, DC area where she taught in the District of Columbia School system. During this time, Bonita married Fred Tillman, Jr., the love of her life, on June 25, 1964 and they were blessed with 53 years of marriage. They spent most of their years in Fort Washington, Maryland where they raised a son and daughter. Bonita was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother who dedicated her life to her family. She was compassionate, thoughtful, generous and full of life. She cared for her family and took pleasure in making sure everyone had what they needed and was prepared for every occasion of life. She was a wise and principled woman with a very strong sense of right and wrong who, along with her husband, strived to keep her family on track. Together they ensured their children were well educated, well rounded and prepared to succeed in life. She joined John Wesley AME Zion Church with her husband and children in the early 1980’s where she was involved in various activities throughout the years. Bonita faithfully cared for Fred in the final years of his life until his passing on February 14, 2018. For more than 13 years, Bonita sold real estate in the surrounding Maryland area and won sales awards while raising and caring for a family, continuing her teaching career in the state of Maryland and obtaining her Master of Education in Public School Administration and Supervision from Bowie State College in 1989, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She was an exceptional, hardworking woman who was highly intelligent with a tremendous ability to do many things and to do them all well. She had a zeal for learning and an ability to quickly absorb information, adapt and excel in various situations. She had high expectations for herself and those around her, often refusing to accept anything less than what she believed was our best. Bonita served for over 20 years in the Prince George’s County Public School System. She was a Social Studies middle school teacher for several years where she also served in different leadership roles including Departmental Chairperson and Team Leader. Bonita’s leadership abilities, understanding of educational processes and methods, and her desire to help improve learning outcomes led her to administrative roles in the county as a Community Instructional Specialist and a Regional Instructional Specialist. Bonita impacted many students, parents, faculty and administrators during her tenure in the school system before retiring in 2004. In her spare time, Bonita could be found zipping through cross word puzzles or other cognitive games, challenging friends and family to a game of Scrabble, or watching Jeopardy. She was an avid reader of many genres. She loved to learn, had a knack for remembering historical facts and trivia and she had an extensive vocabulary. She also enjoyed travelling and the arts. She often attended concerts and plays, and enjoyed going to the movies and the casino. Bonita also had a love for gardening and for years grew many of her own fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of beautiful flowers and plants. She and Fred would often spend hours together planting, watering and caring for their gardens. Bonita was known for being an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals and spending time with her family. She was known for her pound cake and for trying new recipes for all to enjoy. She would often repeat a well-known saying to the younger women in the family that “if you can read, you can cook” and she gave that saying a whole new meaning as she always knew how to create or adapt a recipe to suit her taste and those she prepared for. Bonita lived and full and rewarding life. She was called home by almighty God to eternal rest on July 12, 2020. Her beautiful life will forever be cherished by her family. She is survived by her devoted son, Fred T. Tillman (Dina), loving daughter, Traci Tillman Jackson (Greg), adoring grandchildren, Cierra Jackson, Charles Jackson, Bonita L. Tillman, Paloma Tillman, cousin, Jonelle Justis, and a host of first cousins, other relatives and friends. Bonita often expressed how blessed she felt her life had been. Her life was well lived and will forever be treasured with the fondest of memories.

Tributes

Bonita Q Tillman

May 15, 1942 - July 13, 2020