Obituary of Lily Bonturi

Lily ?Boots? Bonturi Lexington, SC Lily Richardson Matthews ?Boots? Bonturi departed this life on June 17, 2011 after a long illness. To honor her life a graveside service is being held at 11:00 am on Monday, June 20, 2011 at Greenlawn Cemetery on Leesburg Road in Columbia, SC. Lily, 87, was the daughter of the late Alfred Crotwell Matthews and Anne Lily Richardson Matthews. She graduated at the top of her class in 1952 from The College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina and she was a member of the MUSC Golden Grads Association. While raising her children, Lily learned Braille so that she could translate the written word into books for the blind. Lily?s passion was caring for children and she touched the lives of hundreds of children by owning her own day care center for several years and also by working for over 25 years (1973- 1998) at the St. Martin?s Drop-in Nursery on Clemson Rd. in Columbia, S.C. where she mainly worked with ages 18 months to 2 years. Lily was a charter member of the Logan Lap Quilters and won numerous ribbons for her hand-stitched quilts at the S.C. State Fair, including one Grand Premium Ribbon for a shimmering gold, intricately stitched child?s quilt. Lily?s beautiful quilts have been shown across the country and one quilt was pictured in the Fall 1984 Lady?s Circle Patchwork Quilts magazine. Lily is predeceased by her siblings: Clara Sue Matthews Kaufmann, Walter Richardson Matthews, William Cannon Matthews, Budd Cade Matthews and Martha Matthews Kaufmann. Lily will be greatly missed and is survived by: her husband Jack Joseph Bonturi of Lexington, S.C., her children: Bonnie Bonturi Johnson (husband Mike) of Augusta, Ga., Jack Joseph ?Joe? Bonturi, Jr. (wife Kim) of Beaufort, S.C., and Patti Grace Bonturi Scurry (husband Ralph) of Irmo, S.C.; her grandchildren: Eric John Horsey of Jacksonville, N.C., Matthew Charles Drake of Loris, S.C., Bonnie Rebecca Carter of Lexington, S.C., and Caroline Marie Carter Szuman of Lexington, S.C. as well as 5 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. The family wishes to thank Brian Center Nursing Care St. Andrews in Columbia, S.C. and Hospice Care of Tri-County for the excellent care and all the support given to Lily during her long illness. Memorials should be sent to Hospice Care of Tri-County, 166 Stoneridge Dr. Suite 100, Columbia, S.C. 29210.