Surrounded with constant love and prayers of family and friends, Bonnie Joan Trahan, 62, passed away on September 29 at her home in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Born in Pasadena, CA to Joan Trahan and John Trahan, a Navy man, Bonnie’s childhood homes included Bay City, Michigan, Honolulu, Hawaii, Lemon Grove, California, Lake Charles, Louisiana and concluded in San Diego. California. There she excelled in athletics and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1971. She studied at Southwestern College, trained to become a data entry operator at the onset of the computer age and moved to San Luis Obispo in 1974,
In her early years in SLO, Bonnie enjoyed bowling, horse shoes, and playing softball on the World Famous Dark Room co-ed team. A bohemian artist, she spent time weaving baskets and creating gifts for others. In 1977 she began her career at the County of San Luis Obispo and retired in May of 2014 after 37 years of dedicated service. Bonnie was arrested in protest to the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in 1981. Her volunteerism included participation in walks for cancer victims and delivering Information Press.
Bonnie developed a deep love for music with a passion for the Blues and joined the San Luis Obispo Blues Society. After attending the New Orleans Jazz Festival she was bit by the bug to blend music with travel. She became known as Bonnie Blues and attended dozens of concerts on land and by sea as a Blues Cruiser, visiting many ports of calls, hearing famous musicians live and making special friendships across the country.
Lucky at bingo, scratchers and the lottery, Bonnie paid for her trips with her winnings. She rarely missed a Sunday at Chumash. A person with a kind heart she always helped the less fortunate
A Celebration of Life took place on October 31 at the Odd Fellows Hall in San Luis Obispo. Friends near and far gathered, shared stories, shed tears and danced away the hours to music performed by some of her favorite musicians.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Joan Trahan in 2000 and her father, John Trahan in 2013. She is survived by her brother, Mike Trahan, and sister, Debbie Tapia and her husband, Tracy, a niece, Angelique Dawson, great nieces Ariana Gonzalez and Alyssa Corona, a nephew, Paul Dawson and girlfriend, Katie Herrera, the parents of her great nephew Holden G. Dawson.
