Bonnie McJilton Maloney, 75, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, died in her Lake Forest Park home on August 9th. Born in 1940 to Irl L. and Elinor S. McJilton, Bonnie grew up in Rochester, NY. She was an active Girl Scout during her youth, and loved to ice skate and play the piano. In 1947, she and her parents welcomed her brother Paul into the world.
After graduating from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Rochester in 1957, Bonnie attended Georgetown University where she met her husband, James J. (Jim) Maloney. Settling with Jim in Arlington, VA, Bonnie balanced parenthood with her career, working on Capitol Hill throughout the 1960s, and then taking a position with the U.S. Census Bureau in 1969. She 
retired from the Census Bureau in 1999, after which she moved to Seattle to be closer to her daughter. In 2001, she began working as a temporary administrative assistant with various branch offices of Edward Jones Investments, and in 2003, she joined the company full time as a Branch Office Administrator in their Wallingford location. She remained with the company until August 2016.
Bonnie was an avid gardener all her life. She took great pride in creating beautiful, inviting outdoor spaces everywhere she lived. Those who knew her best will remember her love of azaleas, day lilies, and irises. She also enjoyed entertaining; she was known in Arlington for her wonderful Christmas Eve open houses, Super Bowl parties, and the Halloween bashes she hosted for her church choir.
Never content to let mind stagnate, Bonnie always had a book or three on her nightstand and a crossword puzzle on the kitchen table next to her Pepsi. She loved to keep her hands busy as well, and in 2006, she began taking pottery classes at North Seattle College. She remained active in their pottery program until her death, 
producing dozens of hand-built pieces, large and small. Over the past several years, she also took jewelry making and silversmithing classes; she particularly loved working with enamels and semi-precious stones. She was a longtime member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, VA, and she sang in their adult choir for over a decade. After moving to Seattle, she joined St. Alphonsus in Ballard where she was active in the choir until 2015.
Bonnie will be joyfully remembered for her sharp intellect, her warmth and generosity, and her ability to make anyone laugh.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Christopher P. and Mitchell Brown Maloney of Auburn, AL; her son Gregory W. Maloney, of Manassas, VA; her daughter Mary C. (Molly) Maloney, of Seattle, WA; her grandchildren, Theo Lasky, Barrett Maloney, and Ellie Maloney; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Paul, and her husband Jim.
Celebrations honoring Bonnie’s life will be held in the Seattle area in early fall and in Virginia later in the fall. Memorials in her name may be made to the Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph (2215 NE 147th Street, Seattle, WA, 98155) or the Girl Scouts of Western Washington (https://www.girlscoutsww.org).