Speck Funeral Home - Bobbie Burnette

Dollie Bob "Bobbie" Burentte. beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away on October 10, 2020, at the age of 90.

She is survived by her children, Patricia "Patty" Seidel Knight, Dorothy "Dotty" Jean Seidel Sadler, Bambi Balla, and Fawn Bonning; her niece Deeanne Fulton who was always more like a daughter; her grandchildren, Jody Batten, Randi Hermening, Bo Bonning, Dakota Bonning, Colt Bonning, Blue Bonning, Falene "Fay" Osgood, and Petr "Petie" Balla; her great grandchildren, Coral Batten and Cameron 'Aura" Batten; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Margaret H. Burnett; her father, Walter Horace Burnett, Sr.; her brother Walter Horace "Buddy" Burnett, Jr.; her sisters, Margaret "Peggy" Connolly and Patricia Burnett, and her beloved daughter, Bunnie Burnette.

Bobbie was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 15, 1930, but over the years called many places home including Chicago, Illinois; Marathon, Florida; Miami, Florida; Boca Raton, Florida; and lastly, Livingston, Tennessee.

Bobbie was an accomplished athlete as a young woman, competing nationally in gymnastics where she medaled in tumbling.  She had many occupations over the years including school bus driver, gymnastics instructor, bartender, tutor, waitress, cashier, factory worker, teacher's assistant, doing whatever she could to earn wages as a single mother.  She was also a professional country and western singer for many years, a profession which she greatly loved.

When her daughter, Bambi, enrolled at Broward Community College in Florida, she decided to join her.  While attending there, she tutored many students (several of which were blind), a job she found highly rewarding.  She and her daughter graduated together in 1989 with Bobbie earning a degree in Chemistry at the age of 59.  Her passion for school and learning was so strong that, many years later, she went back to college, this time joining her grandson, Bo Bonning, at Tennessee Tech University.  They graduated together in 2015 with Bobbie earning a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Chemistry and a second Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Multidisciplinary Studies.  She was 85 years old.

Bobbie was also very passionate about animals and spent manty years rescuing and relocating them to good homes, although many ended up finding a permanent residence in her good home, including exotics like ferrets and skunks when their owners could no longer care for them.

Per her request a memorial service will not be held, but we're certain it would please her if you were to donate in her memory to any non-kill animal shelter.

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