Margaret “Peggy” Vance Bonham passed away June 19th, 2017, in Cincinnati, OH, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William C. Bonham.

Mrs. Bonham is survived by her sister, Mrs. Thomas O. (Virginia) Pinkerton of Martinsville, Va.; daughters, Margaret S. Bonham, Bristol, Va.; Anna Bonham-White and husband Scott White, Edgewood, KY; Virginia V. Bonham, Pinole, CA; Julia B. Adair and husband Thomas Adair, Henrico, Va.; and two grandchildren, Amelia Adair and William Adair.

Mrs. Bonham was born in Abingdon, Va., a daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. James B. Vance. She attended Averett College and received her teaching degree from what is now Virginia Commonwealth University. She taught first grade in the Bristol, Va. public school system, was instrumental in starting kindergartens at State Street United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church which are now preschools. She developed and had published kindergarten curriculum for Norton City Schools. Mrs. Bonham was on the committee that brought Apple Academy to Central Presbyterian Church. She finished her teaching career as a reading specialist and first grade teacher at Wallace Elementary School.

Faith was an integral part of Mrs. Bonham's life. She was a member of Central Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon and an elder, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday School. Mrs. Bonham helped start the Adult Respite Care program, worked with the Meals on Wheels program, and was recognized for her work by Presbyterian Women as a life member. She also served on the board of the Bristol VA Housing Authority, taking over the position when her husband passed away.

The service for Mrs. Bonham will be held at Central Presbyterian Church, 301 Euclid Ave., Bristol, Va., on Saturday, July 15th at 1 p.m. The family will receive friends during a reception at the church prior to the service beginning at 11:30 a.m. There will be a private burial at Knollkreg Memorial Park in Abingdon, Va.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to the youth ministry at Central Presbyterian Church,
or Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CFF Virginia, 7202 Glen Forest Dr., Suite 102, Richmond, Va., 23226.