Bonnie Lu Cannon

Bonnie Cannon, Entrepreneur, Public Servant, Real Estate Broker, will be missed Bonnie Lu Cannon, long-time resident of Chelan, mother of Linda and Leslie, loving wife and classy lady, died on December 13th, 2015 from a stroke. She passed away peacefully at Harborview Hospital in Seattle with her daughters by her side. Bonnie was born in Spokane in 1936 to Jack Frank Riegel, an automobile dealer, and Ludena Ruth Riegel (Willie). She grew up in Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1954. The Riegels were stalwarts of Spokane society, and Bonnie and her younger sister, Linda, had an idyllic childhood. Even though it was wartime, they enjoyed a lifestyle of socializing, vacations to Miami Beach, Cuba and Hawaii, yachting on Lake Pend Oreille, and summering at Newman Lake. Bonnie loved the water and would impress everyone with her high-diving techniques. While her own childhood was privileged, she was taught kindness, generosity and work ethic. The tragic death of her father when she was 15 affected her the rest of her life and influenced her to be extra kind to young women who suffered from loss and family issues. She attended University of Washington and joined Alpha Chi Omega sorority where she authored the book on etiquette still used today. She was the first woman to complete a statistics major and graduated with a BA in Business Administration in 1958. Young Bonnie was a great beauty with a sparkling smile and always had men falling at her feet. She married Donald R. Cannon in 1959; Linda was born in 1964 and Leslie in 1967. From her childhood, Bonnie was fun-loving and adored socializing and lake activities such as swimming, diving, boating and waterskiing. She and Don visited Lake Chelan in the summer with their girls and liked it so much they moved there in the early 1970s. In 1973, they purchased Jobe’s motel on the lake and turned it into a four-star summer vacation destination called Cannon’s Resort where Bonnie was famous for welcoming guests in her crocheted bikini. Her sharp business acumen made the resort a huge success; she was a wonderful boss and provided summer jobs to many young people in the area. Because she had a huge heart, she provided a home and stability for several young women who were lacking of both She loved tennis with her friends, entertaining, spending time on the lake with the family on their cabin cruiser, “gourmet dinner club” and Rotary. Because their summers were so busy, the Cannons enjoyed the fall and winters touring uplake on their boat and taking winter vacations to Sun Valley and Holden Village. Bonnie loved to ski and looked especially wonderful in her white Bogner ski suit and fur hat. She often took the girls out of school for a quick trip to Seattle for a haircut at Gary Bocz or to see the ballet. Bonnie was a strong advocate for tourism and was appointed to the Governer’s Board of Tourism. As one of the first people to see the potential of Lake Chelan as a year-round destination, she was integral in the creation of the “Cascade Loop Scenic Tour” and worked on the Stormy Mountain committee, a group with a mission to bring a world class ski resort to Lake Chelan. Bonnie and Don divorced in 1981 and sold the resort. Bonnie married Gordon L. Cammack of Wenatchee and continued to live on the lake and be active in the community. She got her real estate broker’s license and became known as Chelan’s premier agent. She owned and operated Windermere Chelan and was active in real estate for over 30 years. Many people today have commented that they own their homes solely due to her hard work and diligence. In 1989, she was honored as the Chelan Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year” for her contribution and positive influence to the Chelan community. She expressed that the key to her happy life were the sustained relationships, challenging work, and connections to the community. Bonnie was always interested in politics and ran for Port Commissioner of Chelan County, the county’s principal economic development agency. She won and held office from 1989 to 2003. As Port Commissioner, she built the Confluence Technology Center (CTC) bringing high-tech firms and data storage into the region. She also oversaw improvements at both Lake Chelan and Stehekin municipal airports and launched the Peshastin Mill Site project. In 1999, she joined Senator Patty Murray on an all-women trade and study mission to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. She and Gordon made their life at Lake Chelan Shores where they lived for 30 years. They often travelled up the lake on Gordon’s “Tour Boat” to their cabin in Stehekin. They also took an annual trip to Maui. She was an avid reader, and constantly had her nose in a book. She loved British mysteries, fresh flower bouquets, watching grand-slam tennis, classical guitar, PBS, Scrabble, her life-long girlfriends, everything about the Royal Family, candy and her dogs. She ate off her fine china and sterling silver every day. Her favorite perfume was “Joy” by Jean Patou and her favorite designer was Ralph Lauren. She was active in Hospital Guild and particularly enjoyed her involvement with the Rotary Club of Chelan where she attended meetings regularly until she was no longer able to drive. As Bonnie’s health declined in the late 2000s, there was a distinct personality shift which affected the rest of her life. She was no longer able to be active, and spent her days home-bound. Even during this time, she was constantly expanding her mind to the best of her ability. She read a book a day and finished dozens of “Great Courses” such as “The World’s Great Religions”, “The English Novel” and many many more. She surrounded herself with her favorite family antiques and put on her makeup and fixed her hair every day. As her health worsened, her loving husband Gordon was there to help her every step of the way. She maintained her cheerful attitude throughout her illness and was a joy to be around. Some describe her as having an aura or glow which is evident in every photograph of her. She had a big beautiful smile, and gorgeous blue eyes. She was warm, generous and kind and her daughters were very proud of her. She is preceded in death by her mother Ludena, father Jack, sister Linda Lee Allen (Riegel), and ex-husband and father of her children, Donald R. Cannon. She is survived by daughters Leslie D. Fichtner (Timothy) of Chelan and Linda L. Cannon (Ian McFail) of Seattle. She leaves behind the love of her life and husband of 34 years, Gordon Cammack. Remembrances can be made in her honor to Chelan Valley Hope, 417 S Bradley, Chelan, 98816, 509-888-2115 www.chelanvalleyhope.org

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Bonnie Lu Cannon

September 14, 1936 - December 13, 2015