Patricia Louise DeBonnett

THE WONDERFUL LIFE OF PATRICIA DEBONNETT

Every life carries a purpose, though the way that purpose is understood and fulfilled is unique to each person. That purpose may be understood as divine, shaped by the will of our omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient creator, God.

For Patricia Louise DeBonnett, that purpose was expressed through faith, family, service, leadership, and an enduring commitment to the people and communities she loved.

Born on the South Side of Chicago to loving parents Hugh Frank Bridges and Frances Eloise Collins-Bridges, Pat was one of eight children: Hugh Bridges Jr. (Flora), Lucille Bridges-May (Selma), Rosalie Bridges-Roberts (Andrew), Richard Bridges (Mary), Clarence Bridges (Ethel), Sharon Bridges-Grant (Albert), and Harold Bridges (Annette).

After graduating from Wendell Phillips High School, Pat married the love of her life, Allison Priestly DeBonnett, Sr. Together, they built a family and raised six children: Cerese (Calvin); Allison Priestly, Jr. (Janice); Andre Robert (Kimberly); Christian (Michelle); Ruth Serene (Trevell); and Mila (Brian), whom they adored.

While building her family, Pat continued building herself. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Chicago State, adding education to the foundation of a life defined by purpose, determination, and service.

HER GREATEST WORK IS FOUND IN THE PEOPLE SHE LOVED, MENTORED, ENCOURAGED, AND SERVED.

Pat was never one to wait for a path to be created for her. She was known for blazing trails, forging her own way, and creating possibilities even when the odds suggested otherwise. She did not simply carve a path for herself; everywhere she went, she left an indelible mark.

When Big Al passed away in 2009, Pat entered a new chapter of her life. She carried forward the life they had built together while continuing to pursue the work and purpose that had become so deeply woven into who she was.

For more than 50 years, Pat earned the respect and admiration of hundreds, if not thousands, of people locally, nationally, and globally. The professional and civic positions she held were numerous and far too extensive to name in their entirety. Among them were leadership roles with Metropolitan Family Services, Roseland Hospital, Chicago State University, Marva Collins Southside and Westside Preparatory School, Roseland Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., Roseland Community Development Corporation, and numerous other City of Chicago, regional, and Illinois planning organizations.

But Pat’s impact extended far beyond the positions she held. She understood that leadership meant creating opportunity, strengthening neighborhoods, preserving history, connecting people, and building a future for those who would come after her.

As the founding Executive Director of Roseland Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., Pat became a catalyst for more than half a billion dollars of investment in Roseland. She held a pivotal role in preserving and advancing the Pullman community and served as a primary sponsor for the preservation and construction of the Pullman Museum as a Federal Landmark District.

Because of her deeply rooted and unwavering commitment to Roseland’s people and its economic potential, Pat became affectionately known as the “Queen Mother of Roseland.” The title reflected not only what she accomplished, but the trust, love, and respect she cultivated within the community.

Her contributions were recognized throughout her lifetime, and she received countless awards and honors for her steadfast advocacy, community development, education, preservation, and service to others.

LEADERSHIP MEANT CREATING OPPORTUNITY, STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS, PRESERVING HISTORY, CONNECTING PEOPLE, AND BUILDING A FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD COME AFTER HER.

Her influence reached far beyond Chicago. During President Barack Obama’s early work, when he first came to Chicago and worked for DCP as a community organizer/advocate, Pat was instrumental in introducing him to Mayor Harold Washington, as well as Roseland ministers, elected officials, and business owners. She was deeply touched by his words of well wishes and acknowledgment during an Obama Foundation Leadership Summit, as well as by a personal letter she received from him most recently.

Yet recognition was never the measure of Pat’s worth. Her greatest work is found in the people she loved, mentored, encouraged, and served.

Pat was a woman of strong conviction and a member of Trinity All Nations for more than 55 years. Her faith was not simply something she professed; it guided the way she lived.

She did not merely read and feast upon the Word of God daily. She carried it into every aspect of her life, taking every opportunity to spread the Gospel and encourage countless people through her words, prayers, example, and service.

SHE DID NOT SIMPLY CARVE A PATH FOR HERSELF; EVERYWHERE SHE WENT, SHE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK.

Her faith shaped the way she loved her family, served her community, and understood her responsibility to others.

Pat’s legacy lives in her children and grandchildren/great grandchildren, in the people she mentored, in the communities she strengthened, in the institutions she helped build and preserve, and in the doors she opened for others. It lives in the faith she passed from one generation to another.

Pat personified a life well lived, not because her life was without difficulty, but because she continued to love, serve, lead, believe, and give through it all.

She believed one person could make a difference.

And she spent her life proving it.

Her earthly assignment is now complete.

She endured to the end.

What a wonderful life.

Amen.