Obituary of Ann J. Bonney

            Ann J. Bonney (nee Tildesley), formerly of Ocean and Tinton Falls, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 9^th after a brief illness. She was 91. She married her high school sweetheart, Robert S. Bonney, Sr. in 1947, who remained the love of her life until his passing in April. Together they raised three children to whom she was totally devoted and for whom she was a strong and supportive presence in good times and tough times.

             Ann was raised in Neptune with her five siblings in a household full of music. During her childhood and teenage years, she was a well-known singer on WJLK and performed in shows at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, the Berkley Carteret Hotel and other local venues. One Asbury Park Press writer called her “the Judy Garland of the Jersey Shore.”

            She was a 1945 graduate of Asbury Park High School and attended Edgewood Park Junior College in Briarcliff Manor, New York. Ann was employed as a legal secretary in Asbury Park and then helped her husband start and develop Hertz Rent-A-Car franchises in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties. Ann was a Giants and Yankees fan and also an avid golfer, serving as Co-Chairlady of the Women’s Golf Committee at Deal Golf and Country Club.  She was also a member and served as President of The Ariel Club.  Later in life, Ann worked at the Ocean Township Municipal Building as a receptionist and licensing clerk for many years - retiring in her 80s.

            Ann is survived by her children: Robert S. Bonney, Jr., and his wife, Maureen, of Sea Girt; Craig A. Bonney and his wife, Pamela, of Ocean Township; and Deborah Cheezum and her husband, William, of Skillman, N.J. She is also survived by 5 grandchildren: Jessica Bonney Reveley and her husband, Nelson; Brittany C. Bonney; Robert S. Bonney III; Craig A. Bonney, Jr., and his wife, Katherine; and Kaitlyn Bonney Cheezum and her fiancé, Stephen Resch; as well as three great-grandchildren, Eason, Asher, and Emily, and many nieces and nephews.

            Her family will receive visitors at the Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home, 10 Morrell Street, Long Branch, New Jersey on Tuesday, November 12^th from 4­­-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at the Glenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Maestra Music, Inc., a non-profit organization providing support to women who make the music in the musical theater industry, 13801 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, California  91423 or at www.maestramusic.org.

          The family wishes to sincerely thank Imperial Healthcare Nursing Center and its outstanding staff for their dedicated care and support.

          For messages of condolence, please visit Ann’s page of tributes at www.woolleyboglioli.com.