Beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Bonita Sammons Handy, age 73, passed peacefully in her home on July 25, 2021. Visitation took place Tuesday July 27, at The Wadley United Methodist Church from 6 to 8 p.m. Graveside services were held Wednesday July 28, at 10 a.m. at Wadley City Cemetery.
Bonita was born in Louisville on February 29, 1948, to the late Juanita Greenway Sammons and Barney Harris Sammons of Wadley. She grew up the oldest sibling to Bruce, Ginger and Jan. Bonita was a “jack of all trades” as she would call herself. She was known by most people as “The cake lady” but before that career, she attended the Bowman Business School in Augusta and later went on to be a bookkeeper at Murray Biscuit Company until she married Jerrell Handy in March of 1970. Bonita and Jerrell (“Johnny” as he was known to most people) moved to Wadley, where he started a Cabinet Shop, and she started an upholstery business in her home. In 1971, Bonita and Johnny welcomed their first child, a son, Jason. Four and a half years later, their second child was born, a daughter, Jodi. As the years went by, Johnny turned the cabinet business into Handy Construction where Bonita was instrumental in helping this business grow. Bonita also started sharing her love of baking with her children’s classmates, which led to opening her own bakery in Wadley called “Bonita’s Sweet Shoppe”. In 1995, she and Johnny bought a 120 plus year old home. Together they refurbished this house and it became known as the Magnolia House. Bonita successfully ran a full-scale cakes and catering and events venue there until 2008 when she had to scale back due to health concerns. Bonita’s love of baking was too grand to fully retire, and she continued to make cakes of all kinds until her death. Bonita is preceded in death by her parents; and her husband of 29 years.
Bonita is survived by her son, Jason Handy of Athens; daughter, Jodi (Ron) Gibson of Yulee, FL; 5 grandchildren, which were her pride and joy; Bailey (Megan) Handy of Watkinsville, Brylie Handy of Wadley, Sam, Tyler, and Kate Gibson of Yulee, FL; brother, Bruce (Lynn) Sammons of Martinez, sisters, Ginger (Albert) Hall of Swainsboro and Jan (Greg) Gaston of Wadley; many nieces and nephews who lovingly called her Tootsie; and her beloved dogs, Beau and Bella.
Tomlinson Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of arrangements.
