Sis. Bonnie Dee Of KRIZ’s “Heaven Bound Train” Passes

Alma Yvonne Pennington, born January 21, 1934 in Pittsburgh, PA went home to be with the Lord on April 26, 2008 in Illinois after a long illness. She was the oldest daughter of the late Mary Dee (Goode) and Franklin Dudley. Sis. Bonnie Dee, as she was affectionately known to gospel radio listeners in the Pacific Northwest, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Schenley High School. She began her career in radio by working with her mother, at WHOD Radio in Homestead, PA. Bonnie Dee married James Pennington in 1954 and two children were born of this union, James “Rip” Jr. and Roscoe (Coco). She and her family lived in Baltimore where she worked with her mother again. When her mother became ill, Bonnie filled in to do her mother’s Gospel Show on WHAT Radio in Philadelphia. After her mother’s death, she had her own show on WHAT on Sunday evenings. In the mid 70’s she worked at WUSS Radio in NJ. She moved to Seattle, WA in 1976 and worked at KYAC where she was Traffic Manager and had a Gospel Show. She also worked at KMPS before working at KRIZ Radio as a gospel announcer on the “Heaven Bound Train, where she retired in 1997. Bonnie Dee loved The Lord, who was her strength. She was an active member of Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Baptist Church in Renton, WA. Bonnie Dee moved to Illinois in 2003, due to health concerns. She lived at Victory Center in Melrose Park and later at Norridge Health Care & Rehab Center in Norridge, IL. She was preceded in death by her son Rip; her mother; father and husband. She is survived by her son, Roscoe Pennington, four grandchildren and great grandson; siblings, Sherlynn Dudley Reid, IL; Sherwood Dudley (Edith), OR ; Franklin “Buddy” Dudley (Gail), PA; nieces, Mary Reid, OH; Dorothy Reid, IL; Lorie Reid Fuller (Cederick), IL; Tawanda Vallery (Joseph); and Olivia Dudley; nephew, Troy Dudley; five great nephews and nieces and two great-great nieces and nephews and host of relatives and friends.