Mary Helen Vaughan Bondy, 89, died of complications from cancer on Friday, November 3, 2023 at her home in Paradise Valley, AZ, while under hospice care.
Born August 8, 1934 in Fairfield, IL, she was the youngest daughter of William Jefferson Vaughan and Helen Childress Vaughan.
Mary Helen graduated from Fairfield High School in 1952. Upon graduating, she moved to Chicago to attend art school, which blossomed into a life-long passion. While attending the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, she met and married William Edward Bondy in 1954, moving to the Territory of Alaska where Bill served as a draftsman on the Nike Missile project during the Korean War.
Mary Helen and Bill returned to Chicago in 1957, where Bill and his brother Fred operated various businesses serving the pharmaceutical industry, eventually establishing a generic pharmaceutical distribution company until it was sold in 1989. Mary Helen and Bill bought a home in Arizona in 1991, where they resided until their deaths.
Mary Helen created art her whole life, gaining a boost in confidence at age14 after winning a first place, $25 prize in a church poster contest. Throughout her life, Mary Helen’s creativity was unstoppable, creating award–winning prints and drawings for local art fairs, water colorpaintings, soft sculptures and ceramics. Soon after Bill passed in 1996 she took a quilting class, launching her favorite passion, kaleidoscope quilts, creating over 50 quilts throughout her life.
In addition, Mary Helen loved to travel, comedian Mike Birbiglia, playingQuiddler, and walked six days a week for decades. She also loved cooking and dining out. Despite her healthy appetite she never gained a pound. A devoted mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, she always made time for everyone, providing love and support for her family. Affirming, funny, generous, kind, and a thoughtful listener, she won over everyone’s heart.
Mary Helen was preceded in death by her husband Bill in 1996. Her two sisters, Eula Vaughan Christy and Alice Vaughan Mugrage also preceded her in death.
Survivors include three children, sons Bruce Bondy (wife Lauren), Northbrook, IL, and Brian Bondy, (wife Carol), Abiquiu, NM and daughter Julie Roberts, (husband Stephen), Fishers, IN; ninegrandchildren, Sara Maxana, Seattle, WA, Rebecca Greenwood (husband Pete) Chicago, IL, Vincent Bondy, Denver, CO, Natalia Bondy (husband Josh Chapman), Thornton, CO, Luc Talatinian, Noblesville, IN, Matthew Bondy (fiancée Cristyn Filla) New Haven, CT, Anya Talatinian, Providence, RI, Allyson Bondy, Alexandria, VA, and Reid Bondy, Chicago, IL; five great-grandchildren; three nephews Gary Mugrage (wife Tammie),Cisne, Jim Mugrage (wife Vicky) Cisne, Eddie Christy (wifeLori) Indianapolis, IN; six nieces Patti Davis (husband Randy), O’Fallon, MO, Nancy Effinger (husband Jeff) Evansville, IN, Sarah Gennicks(husband Ken), Athens, IL, Pamela Bondy (husband Yonah), Chicago, IL, Karen Bondy Schwartz, Buffalo Grove, IL and Cheryl Bondy Kaplan (husband Mark), Evanston, IL.
A private family celebration of life event will be held at a later date.
Memorials: American Cancer Society(https://www.cancer.org/donate.html) or Lustgarden Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research https://lustgarten.org/get-involved/donate/ways-to-give/?form=give
