Kay Kepler Bonner

Kay Kepler Bonner (nee Beverly Kay Kepler) passed away peacefully in Austin, TX, on October 26, 2026, following a long illness with Alzheimer type dementia.

Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, November 5, 2026, at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin with Rev. Hope Tinsley Benko and Rev. William Bradley Roberts officiating.

Kay was born on September 26, 1945, in Waco, TX, to Mary Carpenter Kepler and Joe Boyd Kepler. Early in her life the family relocated to Houston, TX, where Kay grew up. She attended Houston public schools and was an outstanding student. She graduated from Waltrip High School in 1964 with honors, including recognition as a National Merit Scholar. While at Waltrip, she was active in many extracurricular activities, and she formed incredible friendships that were maintained throughout her life. Kay continued her education at Houston Baptist College (now Houston Christian University), where she graduated magna cum laude in 1968.

Kay married Thomas “Tucker” Bonner, Jr., on July 12, 1969. They had two children, Kristin and Kevin, and they lived in San Antonio, Houston, Abilene, and Temple. Kay was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who poured her heart into caring for those she loved. She told them how much she loved them many times a day. She frequently quoted her mother in saying that the only way to spoil a child is to stick them on a shelf and pay no attention to them. And so, she went about doting on her kids and grandkids every single day that she was able to. Even as an empty nester, she continued to check in on her kids every day—often several times a day. Eventually, those calls shifted to checking on her grandkids, whom she adored.

Kay’s faith in Christ was central to her life. Her faith guided her life, and she gave her time generously to her churches and to local civic and arts organizations—including in Temple the Junior League and the Cultural Arts Center, and in Austin the Women’s Symphony League and Next to New.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and Joe Kepler.

She is survived by her husband, Tucker Bonner; daughter, Kristin Knight and husband, Marc; son, Kevin Bonner and wife, Katie; and grandchildren, Harrison Knight, Lauren Knight, Grace Bonner, Shepard Bonner, and Farrah Bonner.

The family requests that in lieu of floral tributes, memorial gifts can be made to Next to New (next2new.org) or to Trinity Center Austin (trinitycenteraustin.org).

We invite you to leave a message or memory of Kay in her “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.