On May 31, 2023, surrounded by her family who loved her so dearly, Bonnie May (Syndram) Harris fulfilled her life's pursuit of following Christ Jesus by meeting Him face to face. While our hearts are shattered at our loss, we rejoice with sincerest joy at the completion of a life well lived for Christ, culminating in her entrance into her Heavenly Father's presence. She had been longing for this very moment for years.
Bonnie was born in Fort Wayne, IN on October 25, 1936 to Robert and Opal Syndram. She grew up as the second oldest of 8 children, & graduated from South Side High School. Shortly after, she met the man she would build her life with for the next 68 years, Phil Harris. They married on January 7, 1955 & over the next few years grew their family with the addition of their children, Deb, Barbara, Phil Jr & Elizabeth. Bonnie held many jobs over the years, faithfully working until the age of 83. She was most recently known for her customer service job which she held at Kroger for 22 years. While she loved meeting people & working, no job was more precious to her than that of being a mother & a grandma. She poured into her children & those she loved so faithfully that if you knew her, you could say without a doubt, your life was better for it. This was the heart of who Bonnie was, but it was largely shaped by a decision she & her husband Phil made in June of 1961, when they committed their lives to Christ. This led them to serve at many churches over the years in Fort Wayne, Columbia City & in Ohio. In addition to serving the churches their family ministered at, Bonnie taught 3 year olds at First Christian Union Preschool for 25 years & taught Child Evangelism for 10 years as well. She was a respected pastor's wife, counselor, teacher and friend. Her kindness shaped her life in so many ways- from her gentleness in guiding people through their grief journeys to her generosity in paying for total stranger's groceries, her innate ability to selflessly care for others allowed everyone to see Jesus in her. She was tough but gentle, & her wittiness kept everyone who knew her laughing. She was bold, brave and wise and never hesitated to speak truth in the way only she could, with wisdom, patience & love. She was so very deeply loved, appreciated & admired by family and who we are is largely because of the profound impact of her life.
Bonnie is survived by her devoted husband, Phil Harris Sr. & her four children whom she loved dearly: Deb (Dave) Hoch, Barbara (Eric) Nicholson, Phil (Susan) Harris Jr. and Elizabeth Harris. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren, both biological and those who married into the family, though she loved and treated them all the same, and 18 great grandchildren.
Bonnie is preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Opal Syndram, & her brother Bob Syndram. We are tickled to know she is reunited with them in heaven.
Please join us in celebrating Bonnie's life and home going. Visitation will be at Fairhaven Funeral Home on Sunday June 4th from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. Funeral services for Bonnie will take place on Monday at 11am with calling one hour prior, also at Fairhaven Funeral Home (6557 N. Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN). Burial will take place at Prairie Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship of Fort Wayne, IN 4656 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 140 Ft. Wayne, IN 46804.