Bonnie Lee Chappell Hamner, 95, of Huntsville passed away peacefully at her home in Fleming Farms on May 1 with her children at her bedside. She was born on January 15, 1929, to Curtis Chalmer Chappell and Irene Adams Chappell of Cleveland, Alabama. The daughter of a Baptist minister, her family moved often. She lived many of her early years in Cullman and surrounding areas. Her senior year was spent at Meek High School in Arley, Alabama, where she met Max Hamner, the love of her life, though it would be five years before they married. After graduating from high school, she moved to Birmingham. There she worked for the Employers’ Insurance Company and lived at the YWCA. She loved her job and living at the “Y” and remained there until she moved to Detroit, Michigan where she and Max were married in 1952. While in Detroit, she worked as a teller at the Detroit Bank, and remained there until her first child, Nanette, was born in 1956.
She returned to Alabama after Max accepted a job with Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville. Their second child, Philip, was born there in 1959. She was thrilled to be the mother of two children. One more goal remained: she wanted to attain a college degree. She mustered the courage to drive out to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and apply for admission. She was accepted and enrolled in early 1965. In 1970, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. Many weekends found her family in the woods looking for wild flowers to identify for a taxonomy class or catching insects for an entomology class. With permission from her instructors, she often took Nan and Philip to class with her where they would occupy themselves in the back of the room. She often said, “it was a family achievement”.
She used her degree to teach various grades of science with eighth grade being her favorite. She taught in the Huntsville City School System for 30 years; first at Davis Hills Middle School then Whitesburg Middle School. Her passion for teaching was evident throughout her career and she found great joy in time with her students and fellow teachers. It was a great honor when she was inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma, the International Society for Key Women Educators. She continued to teach until Max passed away in 1999, then retired in 2000.
After retiring, she enjoyed spending more time with her family and friends. No place was more special to her than the family’s cottage at Smith Lake. Trips to the lake cottage always included members of her animal family. She also remained actively involved in service to her community. She twice received The President’s Volunteer Service Award, presented by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation; the Bronze Award in 2005 (300 hours), and the Gold Award in 2007 (4,000 hours) for volunteer service to others. She volunteered with the Friends of the Library – Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (Board Member), United Way (DIAL program), Huntsville Police Department, and the Huntsville Museum of Art Gift Shop, among others. She was also able to more fully enjoy her love of travel, making trips to visit Nan and Philip in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. Special trips were made to Italy, Germany, and Ireland. To celebrate her 90th birthday, Philip and Nan took her on a cruise to Mexico.
Her Christian faith was a foundation throughout her life. She was a member of Lakewood Baptist Church in Huntsville for over 60 years. There she taught Sunday school and was a member of various church committees. She was a member of the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), the largest Protestant missions organization for women in the world. Her dedication to mission work was steadfast; she sponsored a number of children who lived in underserved parts of the world.
Those left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Nanette Hamner Troiano; her son, Philip David Hamner; her goddaughter, Emilie Susan Kraft-Merchant; her sister, Annie Mae Chappell Hendon; many nieces and nephews, and a host of other family, close friends and former students. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harold Max; her parents; sister, Jessie Sue Chappell Smith; and brother, Bobby Dean Chappell.
The family would like to extend sincere gratitude to the staff at Fleming Farms where she lived since 2021. Their care, kindness, love, and support of “Miss Bonnie” was genuine, heartfelt, and deeply appreciated. She viewed them as family and Fleming Farms as home. In addition, the family is thankful for the care and support provided over the last 5 months by staff from Hospice of Alabama.
Visitation will be from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 5 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Terrell Boyd officiating.
In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to a charity of your choice. Memorial donations may also be made to the D. W. Hamner Scholarship Corp (an IRS Section 501 (c) (3) corporation). Information and a Donation Form may be obtained by contacting: Nan Hamner Troiano nhtroiano1@gmail.com.
