Bonnie passed away on February 16, 2026 from pneumonia on the island of Curacao in the southern Caribbean.

Born Bonnie Lee Denmark on May 26, 1945 in Steubenville, Ohio, to Samuel and Renee Denmark, she moved as a child to the Hammond/Munster, IN area. She graduated from Hammond High School, then went on to graduate from Goucher College with a degree in psychology.

In 1967, she married her high school friend turned boyfriend, Gary Friedman, and they moved to Madison, WI–a place they loved and spent the rest of their lives. Daughters Jennifer and Ellen came along, and Bonnie returned to grad school while the kids were still young, to earn her Masters in Social Work from the UW-Madison. At the same time, she became active with Temple Beth El Sisterhood, serving in roles such as board secretary and chair of the annual Food-A-Rama fundraiser.

She earned the ACSW professional social work certification and worked for many years at Madison General, Methodist, and Meriter hospitals as a clinical social worker. In summer 1988, when four Madison high school students were killed in a car accident, she volunteered to coordinate grief counseling services for fellow students, as grief was one of her areas of professional expertise.

After retirement, Bonnie became inspired by the local, regional, and North American Reform Judaism movement, and served as Midwest Regional President of the Union for Reform Judaism for a term, visiting the many small and large Reform Jewish congregations across the upper Midwest. Next came a term as President of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El Madison, a position Gary had also held. She then became involved in Rabbinical education, serving for multiple terms on the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College.

Bonnie and her husband were also active philanthropists, supporting Jewish and social justice causes, and chairing several fundraising efforts for Temple Beth El over the years.

Her skills were many: she translated her love of writing and the French language into substitute teaching jobs early in her marriage. She loved music, having studied the piano throughout childhood, and later in life joined the Temple Beth El Choir to sing soprano alongside her daughter Jennifer. The fiber arts were her lifelong hobby, especially needlepoint and cross stitch. Her love of reading meant that the Alicia Ashman branch of the Madison Public Library counted her among their most active patrons.

Another passion was travel; Bonnie and Gary loved going on ocean and river cruises, and later in life, spent time each winter somewhere warm. She often traveled to spend time with friends and family across the country, especially daughter Ellen and husband Steve and their three children. Most recently, Bonnie enjoyed a Caribbean cruise with daughter Jennifer.

Bonnie was a leader, but more than that, she led with compassion and humor. Her smile lit up every room she entered, and people of all ages loved spending time with her. Whip-smart, she was fundamentally a realistic optimist. She was the best Bubbe ever and will be sorely missed by scores of friends. Her passion for Judaism locally and all over the world helped give focus to her drive to improve the world and the lives of all people.

Bonnie is survived by her daughters, Jennifer Friedman of Madison, and Ellen Friedman (Steve MacGregor), grandchildren, Akiva, Asher, and Temima MacGregor; sisters, Marcy Denmark (John) Manning of Reston, VA and Tracy Denmark (Marc) Schwimmer of Scottsdale, AZ. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Leslie Denmark, and her husband, Gary Friedman.

Bonnie's funeral service will be held at 11 am on Thursday, February 26 at Temple Beth El, 2702 Arbor Drive.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Rd Madison

608-238-3434